Fate
by Sweet Honey
Summary: *Finished* Princess Abby and Kel (granddaughters of the famous Ella) are caught in a whirlwind of lies, deceit and romance along with their Champions when they go on a search for Gem that will give them fame, glory, and eventually disaster. Please R & R!
1. Default Chapter

Fate  
  
By: Sweet Honey  
  
Prologue   
  
  
  
For as long as she could remember, Princess Abigail, also known as "Abby", had wanted a Champion. Originally, Champions had been called Fairy godmothers, but this had angered the male fairies and the proper, politically correct alterations had been made. Now both male and female fairies were allowed as Champions, although many still preferred woman as the traditional ones.   
  
Abby always had a picture in her mind of what her fairy would be like. She would be pretty and plump and have rosy cheeks. The fairy would call her "dear" and hug her and Abby would call her "mom". And, although there were certainly fairies like that, Abby was in no way destined to receive one. Fate can be funny like that. Instead of the sweet, caring woman she had wished for, she got Erik.   
  
Erik wasn't Abby's first Champion. When Kelamarie was nine and Abby was eight, the Queen decided that a Champion would be the perfect distraction for the hyperactive princess'. Abby was horrendously disappointed when she first saw her. This fairy had beady little eyes, frizzy hair and a double chin. The real reason she had wanted a fairy was because of her grandmother, whose fairy godmother had been well known and well loved. Her grandmother's name was Ella, and she was very pretty and spirited older woman who Abby loved to listen to. She had looked forward to a fairy godmother ever since Nana Ella had started telling her fairy stories, and now she cringed at this fairy's...facial hair.   
  
"TAKE HER BACK I WANT A PRETTY ONE!" shrieked Kelamarie, stamping her feet and balling her tiny hands into fists. She then proceeded to throw a pretty tantrum for the entire palace to see.  
  
Abby was so embarrassed by her sisters antics that she ran to her governess, Camille, and hid behind her skirts. "There there, child." she said, and turned to face Abby. "You mustn't follow your sister's example."  
  
She gaped at her. Follow her sisters example?  
  
Never.  
  
Her sister, she thought to herself, was the biggest, most spoiled brat she had ever seen. She remembered her Nana's stories about how horrible her stepsisters had been, and had taken comfort that someone understood the horror of sisters. She loved to read her Nana's Fairy Book too, and watch as all the mean stepsisters became only a distant memory in their nice sisters memory. She may have be my older sister, thought Abby, but I will never look up to her.  
  
She gritted her teeth against the insult and walked up to the nearest group of servants. "Go and send for the Queen immediately." she said, repeating the phrase that many characters in her books used. "Tell her that Princess Kelamarie has taken another tantrum."  
  
No one moved, they just stared. How could this girl who hardly reached their knees be suddenly...noble? One of the younger ones ran off, but the others stared at the little Princess with a little more respect and a large amount of wariness. Abby blushed as she realized they were giving her the same respective look they had always given to nobles.   
  
Her mother swept into the room leaving a long, ribboned trail behind her. As usual, her mother's beauty took Abby's breath away the moment she saw her. Queen Lyddia had straight black hair and almond shaped amber eyes that turned up slightly at the corners. But the moment of awe faded the minute Abby remembered just how misleading her mothers beauty was.  
  
"Abigail, why did you send for me?" asked her mother, eyeing the small child suspiciously. She hadn't liked this one as much as she had liked the first, that was sure. This one had inherited none of her beauty, except possibly the same shape eyes. Making a point not to look at this daughter, she immediately went over to her other daughter. "Sweet Kel, what's the matter?"  
  
Queen Lyddia looked into her daughters golden eyes. The young girl sniffed. "They wouldn't let me have the doll."  
  
"Well, why not?"  
  
"Ummmm....'cause Abby lied and said it was hers."  
  
You liar, you lair, you liar, thought Abby and she looked to her mother for help. However, the eyes that had once held love now held only annoyance.   
  
"Abigail, give Kel the doll." she said, and moved toward the startled Princess.   
  
Abby grabbed the doll and held it tight, whispering words to it that no one could hear. Her mother scowled. "Abby, I think your being very selfish. Give me that doll immediately."  
  
Not her beautiful doll, the only thing that she had been given by her Nana that was hers and only hers! Abby stepped back and whispered, "No"  
  
Her mother gasped, the servants gasped, and Kel nearly fainted. Refuse the Queen, was she mad?  
  
"You...will give me....that doll...immediately."  
  
"NO NO NO NO NO!!!" yelled Abby and she looked at Kel's suddenly bright and cruel face. Abby grimaced as she realized what would happen to her doll if she gave it to Kel. She'd constantly seen the small bits of porcelain left over from Kel's tantrums. "NO NO NO NO-!"  
  
Smack.  
  
Abby felt her face sting horribly as her mother withdrew her hand. "YOU WILL GIVE ME THAT DOLL THIS INSTANT!" she roared, her once ravishing face now a contorted mask.   
  
Abby didn't realize what she was doing, her mind was totally blank and her ears were ringing. Her mind kept repeating "never never never" but she knew she couldn't keep it now...  
  
She drew the doll over her head, looked at Kel, and smashed the doll to pieces.   
  
Queen Lyddia gasped and looked at the small child, wanting desperately to throttle her but also feeling strange. She has so much pride, thought Queen Lyddia. Her first loyalties lied with Kel, who (as horrible as it may have seemed) was her favorite of the two. She will make a terrible enemy for Kel, and an even worse one for me, she thought. She must never sit upon the throne, ever.   
  
"Abigail, you will not have supper, nor will you be allowed to leave this room, until every single piece of this is picked up. And you will pick it up with your bare hands-"  
  
"But your highness!"  
  
Queen Lyddia turned and faced the new Champion. Her eyes blazed with anger and her voice blocked out all other sounds. "You, Ms. Tsakun, are relieved of your post!"  
  
The Champion puffed up and clenched her fists. "I won't allow you to hurt the child!"  
  
The Queen lifted her chin high and scowled. "She must be taught some manner, and besides her health is no longer of your concern. Please return to F‚erique Terre and make sure to relay this message; Do not send another Champion for nine years...the Princess' will be fifteen by then, and my anger may have cooled."  
  
As her Champion was lead out of the room, Abby stood there, staring at the broken porcelain, her feelings of her mother ambivalent. She looked into her golden eyes once more, eyes as cold as glass and twice as sharp.  
  
"You heard me: Pick it up." 


	2. Not all sugar and spice

Fate  
  
By: Sweet Honey  
  
Not all sugar and spice  
  
  
  
Princess Abigail tugged at the satin white gloves on her hands and sighed. Finally, she and Kel would have a new Champion. In fact, they would have two new Champions, because after all the fights her mother and Kel had gone through they had decided that two Champions would be needed. She wished her Nana could have come over today instead though. She would have liked that better anyways.  
  
She sighed and looked at her sister. Age had not diminished her beauty, rather it had made her even more beautiful...and stupid. Not that she wasn't clever when it came to cruel plots. She was great at that. No, it was that she was totally naive. Abby smiled. Yes, that was it.   
  
"Kel..." she said, smiling at her sister. The pretty girl looked up, setting suspicious eyes on her sister. "You should really hope that mother has picked a totally new pair of Champions for us."  
  
Kel looked away, but asked quietly, "Why?"  
  
Abby smiled. "Well, because I met the Champions we were supposed to get last week."  
  
"No you didn't."  
  
"Yes, I most certainly did." said Abigail, and she looked at her sister happily. "And I told them all the mean things you did to me."  
  
"Liar. I never do mean things to you."  
  
"And just what do you call putting spiders in my bed?"  
  
"A favor. I thought you would like their company."  
  
Abigail and Kel fought until there was a large knock at the door, and their maid, Tirah, walked in. She was the same age as the two princess' but acted like she was decades older.   
  
"You two had better hush up!" she said sternly, brushing back a piece of auburn hair that had escaped her pony tail. "Your Champions have arrived."  
  
Both sisters leaned forward. "Really?" asked Kel. "What do they look like?"  
  
"Are they nice?" Abigail.   
  
Tirah shrugged. "How should I know if their nice? All I know is that one of them is absolutely gorgeous. The other one is handsome too, but one has beautiful blonde hair and lovely blue eyes...." she said, stopping for a minute and thinking. "Oh, they both have blue eyes now that I think of it. Very different colors though, very different."  
  
Kel furrowed her brow and scowled. "Is that the only reason you came in here?" she said, now that she had all the information she needed. Tirah's eyes grew wide and she put a hand over her mouth.   
  
"I forgot! I was supposed to tell you two that they were coming right now-!"  
  
The door flew open and Queen Lyddia strolled in happily, and behind her were the two new Champions. Abby gasped and realized that Tirah had been right. One was the most beautiful man she had ever met, with shoulder length blonde hair and very light blue eyes. He was dressed in the most rich clothes, the type of outfit befitting a warrior. He even had a jewel encrusted sword around his waist!  
  
The other was handsome, but in a less ostentatious way. He had blue eyes like the other, but his were the color of the sky before night. He had black hair that was shorter than the blondes and that fell over his eyes a bit on the right side. He was dressed in black pants and a shirt that matched the color of his eyes. The main difference between the two elves was that this one had no laughter in his eyes, and a frown on his face.   
  
"Princess Kel and Princess Abigail, these are you two new Champions." said Queen Lyddia with a smile. "This one-" she said, pointing to the blonde, "-is Zaden and the other is Erik."  
  
Abigail and her sister rose and curtsied. Kel walked right up to them and extended a slender white hand. "It's quite a pleasure to meet you both." she said, but she only had eyes for Zaden. "I hope that we will get a chance to know each other better."  
  
Zaden smiled slowly. "Yes, I hope so too." He reached down and brought her hand to his lips. Abby cringed as his kiss lingered a bit to long and her spine tingled as she realized there was something very unchivalrous in the way he kissed her sister.  
  
She looked at Erik. He was making no move to kiss her hand. In fact, it seemed he didn't even notice her. Abby smiled. This was a nice change of pace.  
  
Abby stepped forward, curtsying her best. "It's a pleasure to meet you." she said, but held her hand back. She looked up at the blonde one and blushed as she realized what he was looking at and lowered her eyes.  
  
You see, for all that she wasn't as beautiful as her sister, Abigail did have one amazing gift and flaw. Her eyes. They were the same shape as her mothers, slightly shaped like almonds and with a little curve upward. But it was the color that was both wonderful and unnerving. They were a bright green, like the emeralds on her mothers crown. But they also glittered. And not occasionally. Always. Many children had been scared by them, and Abigail had rarely had anyone to play with. She couldn't really blame them, but it was still embarrassing.  
  
So when she saw Zaden staring straight at her eyes, she was automatically ashamed. She pulled at her gloves and flipped back her light brown hair, hoping he would look somewhere else...anywhere else...just not there.   
  
He swooped forward, tilted his head and kissed her on the cheek. She gasped, her sister gasped and even her mother cringed. It was such a breech of custom. But he merely looked at her with those baby blue eyes and murmured, "I believe it is custom to kiss a Lady when you meet her."  
  
"ON THE HAND!" bellowed Kel, her face a furious red. Queen Lyddia grabbed her hand and whispered something in her ear that calmed her down. Abby was stunned at Kel's outburst. It was beyond comprehension that Kel might actually be jealous of her, because of one stupid kiss.  
  
If it was so stupid, why are you blushing?  
  
She quieted her mind and turned to the other fairy. For a moment she was surprised to see the pointed ears that claimed him to be a fairy. For a moment she had forgotten that they were both not human. He must not be comfortable, she thought, and said to him. "Hello. I'm Princess Abigail."  
  
"I know."  
  
Her eyes grew wide. She couldn't think of anything to say, and she was embarrassed by the way he had treated her. She had been TRYING to be nice! Thankfully, (for once) her sister broke the silence.  
  
"So which is mine?" asked Kel, looking back again at Zaden. Her mother smiled at her daughter.  
  
"Zaden is yours, my dear."  
  
Kel smiled and walked over to him. "I guess we will be getting the chance to know eachother better." she said, winking at the fairy. "Please follow me, I'll show you to your room."  
  
Abby felt a pang of envy as her sister led her Champion down the hall. He had been so nice to her...he had kissed her...and she was stuck with this ass.  
  
She sighed. "Come on, I'll show you to your room too." she said, and the tall, lanky fairy followed her. The walked in silence for a while, but Abby deplored silence. "So, what part of the F‚erique Terre are you from?"  
  
He didn't say anything for a minute, but then said in a soft and haughty voice. "Why do you care?"  
  
"Because I want to know where I can send you back!" she snapped, and put a hand over her mouth quickly. She couldn't believe she had been so rude to her new Champion. The only person she ever snapped at was her sister and mother. She was a very nice girl, but jerks seemed to bring out the worst in her. "Oh, I'm so sorry-"  
  
"I should have known." said the fairy with a hint of a smile. It wasn't a nice smile either.  
  
"Should have known what?" asked Abby, her patience for the stranger dwindling by the second.  
  
"Well, the Elders told me that the each of the Princess' had one of their parents personalities. Your sister's an idiot like her father, and you're vicious like your mother-"  
  
"I AM NOT LIKE MY MOTHER!" roared Abby, her eyes glittering even more than usual. But the boy didn't seem bothered by her outburst in the least.  
  
"You most certainly are, and you know it." he said, walking past her. "You have a tongue as sharp as hers, the only difference is that your sister inherited all her looks."  
  
"Well at least I have some intelligence, unlike a disgusting fairy bastard like you!"  
  
Smack.  
  
She put her hand up to her face and stared at the tall fairy. For a moment his face stayed frozen between hatred and madness, but suddenly his eyes widened and his mouth formed an o of horror.  
  
"I-I'm so sorry-" he stammered, staring at his hand as if it were covered in blood. "I didn't mean to-"  
  
Abby couldn't help it, she put both of her hands over face and turned away. She'd be dammed before she let him see her cry! He stepped forward and was about to touch her should when a hand suddenly pushed him back.  
  
"If you ever lay one hand on her again I'll kill you, understood?" asked a deep, rough voice. Abby turned around and saw that it was Zaden. Surprise replaced every other emotion in her as she stared in Zaden's now deadly serious eyes. He turned away from Erik and faced her, his eyes softening.  
  
"Are you okay, Princess?" asked Zaden, extending a hand to her.   
  
"I'm fine." she snapped angrily, but not really at Zaden. She was mad, mad at the world, mad at Zaden, mad at the people who believed that she, a woman, could not fight her own battles. But most of all, she was mad at Erik.   
  
"If you'll excuse me, I'd like to go to bed." she said, and walked away from them slowly. As soon as she was out of their sight though, she raced to her room and threw herself onto her bed. All she wanted to do was cry, but she fell asleep almost immediately. In her dreams she wanted to be with Zaden, but all she could see was Erik and his sorry eyes.  
  
When Tirah walked in minutes later and saw the Princess curled up on her bed with tears still fresh on her face, she sighed and whispered "Good looking guys have that effect on me too."  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
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	3. Nor helpless...

Fate  
  
By: Sweet Honey  
  
Chapter Two: Nor helpless....  
  
  
  
When she woke up, Abby had a horrible feeling that the day wasn't going to be good. She would have to face both Erik and Zaden. Not only that, but today she was supposed to go on her annual "rounds" and observe the kingdom. And spend time with Kel. Yuck.  
  
"Get up, Abby!" yelled Tirah as she rushed into the room with a large stack of clothes. She threw them at Abby. "You're really late, but not as late as your sister! At least you're awake!"  
  
Abby threw on her clothes sleepily. She took one look at herself in her mirror and grimaced. Obviously her mother had picked this outfit. Nobody else in the whole Kingdom would ever try to stuff a girl as plain as Abby into a dress this disgustingly fancy. She couldn't think of anyone who would look nice in gold, pink and blue.   
  
"Ugh, Tirah, do I actually have to wear this in front of people?"  
  
Tirah nodded solemnly, but her eyes danced with laughter. "You most certainly do. Not only that, but today there's going to be a lot more people than usual. I mean, everyone's going to want to see you new Champion's."  
  
Abby sighed and pulled on her long, white gloves. "Oh great, I bet we'll get all the crazy people in the whole Kingdom out of there beds early today." she said, and suddenly looked thoughtful. "Tirah, do you know if we're going to have any extra security today?"  
  
Tirah raised an eyebrow. "As a matter of fact, there is going to be a bit of a security change today." she said, handing Abby her shoes. "Or at least a lack of it. Seems that the Queen is only going to send you and Kel and your Champion's today."  
  
Abby walked over to wear her breakfast was sitting on her table, slowly fermenting. "Ah, so Mother wants to test the Champions." said Abby, and she slipped a knife from the tray into her waistband. "Well forget that, I wouldn't trust Erik with my cat, and definitely not my life."  
  
Tirah looked horrified. "Abby, a knife? This is getting ridiculous-"  
  
"And I'm not wearing those atrocious slippers either."  
  
Tirah made a face. "Honey, I wouldn't wear them either." she said, and narrowed her eyes. "Stop trying to change the subject, you know I hate it when you do that. Now, why don't you just put the knife back, you know what your mom would do if she caught you with that."  
  
Abby shook her head. "I won't put my life totally into the hands of that total slimeball Erik."  
  
"Well, not totally." came a voice from the door. Both women turned around, enraged.   
  
"What if I was dressing, you pervert!"  
  
"What right do you have-!"  
  
"Hush ladies, " said the fairy, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the doorway. "Not only did I fair to see anything, but I also didn't manage to hear anything. Except of course for that 'slimeball' remark. Anyway, I came her to apologize for my...rude actions yesterday. However, after the name-calling I believe that I shall have to forego my apology."  
  
"I ache with regret!" countered Abby, pulling on her favorite pair of boots under her dress. Erik laughed.  
  
"Do you really think those boots compliment you dress?"  
  
Abby ignored him and walked down the hall. She knocked on her sisters door and yelled, "Wake up Kel! We're going to be late!"  
  
Seconds later Kel emerged and Abby gasped. If Kel had been pretty before, she was ravishing now. Her hair fell in glittering black waves down her back and the golden color of her dress reflected the bright gilded look that her eyes had surrounded by black lashes. Abby felt a bolt of jealousy run through her, but quickly snuffed it as she realized that beauty wasn't as desirable as, well say a brain.  
  
"Kel, why were you so late?" asked Abby, following her sister toward the banquet hall.  
  
"Well isn't it obvious?" she asked, and stuck her nose up in the air. Abby stuck out her tongue at her, trying to avoid stepping on her sisters monstrously large skirt.  
  
When Abby saw that Zaden was already in the banquet hall she blushed. It was one thing for her to understand how much more beautiful Kel was, but the fact that Zaden was noticing it also made her feel inferior. She wished she had spent half the time on her hair as Kel had spent on hers.   
  
"You both look lovely." said Zaden, and he bowed deeply. Abby almost laughed out load at the look of horror and disappointment on her sister's face.  
  
"All that work and you're still compared to me." Abby whispered vehemently. Kel reached over and pinched her childishly, but Abby didn't even flinch. Kel's shallow satisfaction with the pinch was nothing compared to Abby's mental exhilaration.  
  
"I take it you are both ready to leave?" asked Queen Lyddia as she walked in.   
  
"Yes." everyone said, and the Queen smiled.  
  
"Good. The Royal Carriage is outside waiting." she said, and smiled. "Have fun."  
  
  
  
******   
  
  
  
"This is boring." whined Kel as the carriage rumbled through the dusty roads. She still looked beautiful although her hair had lost some of its bounce. Everyone else in the carriage was being forced into horrible sitting positions because of the girth of her dress. "How much longer is the ride going to be? Are we there yet? My dress is getting crumpled!"  
  
Finally Abby snapped, leaned over and grabbed her sisters hair. Kel let out a yelp as Abby yanked her down to her eye level. "You will cease this endless whining immediately, unless you feel like wearing my fist!"  
  
Kel shut up after that, and Abby was so delighted with the silence that she forgot to be ashamed by her display. She did her best thinking when there was total quiet.  
  
Now, she thought to herself. Here lies the problem. My Champion is mean, rude and abusive (well, maybe he's not really abusive, but that's not the point here) were as Kel's Champion is handsome, sweet and he seems to like me to a certain degree...it almost seems right that Mother would stick me with the worst possible fairy. I thought only sisters could be this bad.  
  
"I believe that we've arrived." said Zaden with a smile. "Now that wasn't so bad, was it?"  
  
Kel glared at Abby, who heard Erik mumble something about an hour of hell. Abby was able to descend from the carriage without the help of Zaden but Kel (on her wobbly, miniature feet) needed a bit of help. Abby blushed as the village people cheered her arrival. She looked at the stage were she and her sister were supposed to give speeches from and started to feel a little light headed. She was opinionated and loud at her own house but public speaking made her queasy.  
  
Kel was all smiles and waves, pushing Abby behind her massive skirt. Can't they see in her eyes that she doesn't want to be here? thought Abby as she saw the old and young citizens pay her sister tribute. Maybe they can see it but choose to ignore it.  
  
The made their way quickly to the stage where Kel cleared her throat and began her speech. The only thing that Kel liked about coming into the different villages was her speech. It was and probably would be the only time in her life that anyone would listen to her and admire her for something other than her looks.  
  
Abby on the other hand was fascinated by the village and glad that her sister would once again take up most of the time with her senseless droning. This village was part of a large fishing industry and she liked to see all the foreign objects out in the bazaar. She was so busy staring at one beautiful red pair of gloves that she didn't notice the small boy running to her until he was grasping onto her skirt.  
  
"Princess, Princess, I've always wanted to meet you!" the little boy cried as he looked up at her with big brown eyes. "Will you marry me?"  
  
The crowd hushed and held their breath as they realized the rudeness of the boy who was one of them. But Abby smiled and bent down to look the little boy in the eye. She put a gloved hand on his head and asked, "What's your name?"  
  
The boy opened his mouth to speak but was without warning pushed back away from the princess and fell to the ground with a cry. Abby looked up, shocked, right into Zaden's face. "How dare you push a child away!" she yelled, but her yell was stillborn as she looked at his face. Was he...was he smiling?  
  
Suddenly Abby wanted to smack him hard and the violent thought tore at her heart. She couldn't believe...how could he be so cruel? How could anyone be so cruel?   
  
"Don't you dare touch him again." said Abby, her eyes blazing as she slowly rose from her crouching position. He took a step back and gave her a strange look. Even Kel seemed a little unnerved, although whether it was about the child fall or Abby's expression was unclear.  
  
Even as she rose she saw a small dot in the corner of her vision grow larger and larger until it was directly in front of her face. Only when it was a few hundred yards away could she see it was an arrow heading directly for her.  
  
She screamed, throwing her hands up in front of her face. But the killing blow never came. She opened her eyes and nearly fainted when she saw the arrow a few inches away from her face and suspended in mid air. She breathed again when she realized that Erik was holding onto the arrow. She backed away from the vicious object and saw a figure dressed in all black jump onto the stage with great ease.   
  
So she pulled out her knife and stood up, not about to allow an assassin to scare her. Shouts of panic and amazement resonated through the crowded marketplace. Abby thought the sounds were being made out of fear of the assassin, but she had yet to realized that the crowd was shocked at her knife. Before she had a chance to use it, however, Erik had stepped in front of her. He put on hand on her shoulder and pushed her back and put his other hand up in front of his chest, making a fist then raising his four fingers and leaving his thumb against his palm. A bright, midnight blue color seemed to swirl against his hand, looking like smoke coming from a chimney. Before he had the chance to do...whatever he had been planning to do with the smoke, Zaden took matters into his own hands.  
  
The figure in black exploded violently, spraying blood everywhere.  
  
Abby had never seen anything more revolting, disgusting or surprising ever, and she let out such a scream that she thought her head would come flying off. Erik turned and she saw that he was so covered in blood that his once beautiful white silk shirt had turned a deep red color. He looked mad as hell, and Abby looked over to her sister, who was lying in a puddle of blood. Apparently she hadn't appreciated the show anymore than Abby had. 


	4. The Love of a Mother...

Fate  
  
By: Sweet Honey  
  
Chapter Three: The Love of a Mother  
  
  
  
"A disgrace! It could not have gone any worse!" screamed the Queen, her voice echoing in the hall. Erik, Zaden, and Abby were all standing in a row, Kel being absent because she had apparently twisted her ankle on her *fall* and had been rushed to the sick ward. When Kel's dress was to big to fit through the door to the ward, the nurses had resorted to cutting it off in front of everyone. However, the days events had sobered Abby so that she couldn't even find humor in that. "I can't believe that this happened!"  
  
Abby looked to the two Champions, their faces full of regret and disgrace (or at least Zaden's was...Erik looked unmoved as usual). Zaden cleared his throat and said "I'm sorry that my handling the situation was so crude." His eyes glittered a little and narrowed, the corners of his mouth turning up. He's smiling!? thought Abby wildly, looking at Zaden in shock and fury. That's sick!  
  
Abby opened her mouth to say something when suddenly a hand reached out and grabbed her hair, pulling her in close. "This disgrace is your fault Abby!" whispered the Queen, her voice a low murmur. "Pulling that knife on that assassin may have been the stupidest, most humiliating thing you have ever done. What were you thinking!" Her voice rose higher and higher, and her hand pulled on Abby's hair more viciously than ever. "What will they say about you now Abby?! What am I going to do with you?"  
  
The beautiful Queen continued to pull on her daughters hair as she thought. "Well, for starters I'll send you to your room, indefinitely." she said. "Yes...Abby, you are hereby sent to your room without food until you repent for what you have done."  
  
Abby's eyes glittered evilly, and she yanked away her head. "And what exactly have I done, Mother?" she hissed, the word mother sounding like the most abominable of curses. "Protected myself? The shame the shame! I will NOT apologize for my actions today. Would you rather that I had died?"  
  
There was silence in the hall, a sort of thoughtful silence. Abby looked at her mother, and realized that she hadn't denied it. She hadn't denied it! She took a step back in horror. There had many times when Abby had felt unloved and uncared for by her mother, even times when she had been physically hurt by her, and she looked down at her gloves as tears came to her eyes.   
  
But never had she really thought (or heard her mother admit) that she wanted her dead! She stammered, couldn't put two words together, looked at her mother and then looked at Erik, feeling shamed and wishing that she could disappear.   
  
"Go to your room; I need to attend to your sister." she said, turning around and walking out of the hall. "I'll set up guards at your door to make sure that you can't get out. And as for that atrocious question...it wasn't even worthy of an answer."  
  
Abby went to her room quietly, put on a more comfortable blue silk dress and grabbed her Nana's Fairy Book from under her bed. She got about halfway through one story before she burst into sloppy tears. It was to much to take, the whole day had been to much to take in fact. She threw the book back under her bed She sat in front of her mirror and tried her best to make herself look prettier, but the outcome was still nowhere near Kel and her mother's shared beauty. She wanted to cry but the tears wouldn't come out.   
  
When the door opened soon after she was startled to see it was her sister enter, carrying a large book. "What a miraculous recovery." Abby commented, looking at her sisters familiar swagger. Kel made a face and sat down on Abby's bed.   
  
"My, what a dreary and plain room this is." she said, looking around in disgust. "Really, this decor would serve a maid better than a Princess!"  
  
Abby sighed. "Kel, why are you here?"  
  
"Why, do I really need a reason to see my beloved sister?" she asked, trying to make a create a look of hurt but failing miserably. Abby repeated her question. "All right, all right! Look...you know I can't read as well as you can."  
  
Abby nodded with a smile. This little problem of Kel's was well-known.  
  
"Well...I need you to read a passage from this book for me." she said, pulling out the big, gray and blue book.   
  
"Where did you find this?" asked Abby, her fingers tracing the old binding and words Treasures from the Reign of Leonard III. "This thing is really ancient."  
  
"I had someone find it for me, ok?!" said Kel, getting impatient. It was obvious that she didn't want to stick around for any longer than necessary. "Could you please just read this ONE page for me!?"  
  
"Fine." said Abby, and she opened up to the marked page. On it was the beautiful picture of an emerald that was larger than her fist. "Okay, listen up Kel 'cause I'm only going to read this ONCE."  
  
  
  
Pictured above is the Divine Gem, found during the reign of Leonard the III. It was initially considered to be a myth, but it was found after the King had raided the cave of an ancient Dragon. This stone, although beautiful, also proved to be a terrible thing. For reasons unknown it had enormous power that could cause disastrous or wonderful results, depending on the person who wielded it. After it was found a terrible slaughter broke out in which the calvary man with the stone destroyed half of his comrades before the energy in the stone destroyed him. To keep his people and men safe, the King handed the stone to his most trusted son and had him take it to an unknown location, which we believe to be somewhere near Glittering Falls. The Prince nor the stone was never heard from again.  
  
"There, are you happy?" asked Abby, handing her sister the book. "I read the stupid thing: now leave."  
  
Kel looked at her sister and smiled wickedly. "Zaden was very brave yesterday, don't you think? I mean, saving us all like that."  
  
"Are you mad?!" asked Abby. "He made a man EXPLODE! There had to have been some way he could have saved us without...doing that. Not only that but I think he liked it!"  
  
Kel waved her hand at her sister. "He saved us, you know that. Besides, I thought what he did was amazing and brave." she said, and then turned to her sister with a sparkle in her eye. "Remember when Zaden kissed you on the cheek that day? Well, he kisses much better on the lips."  
  
Maybe yesterday this news would have startled and hurt Abby, but now all it did was disgust her. "I'm glad your so happy about getting kissed by a murderer." she said, grabbing her sisters arm and pulling her toward the door. "But you stories nor your company are welcome here any longer."   
  
Kel turned around and her eyes became golden slits. "Watch that tongue of yours or I'll see it's ripped out!"  
  
Abby slammed the door in her sisters face and sat down hard no the wooden floor, bring her knees up to her chin and wrapping her arms around them. The surprises all kept piling up, until she felt she may never be surprised by anything again. She had a sudden urge to read from her Fairy Book and escape the reality that served as a prison, and grabbed it from under her bed.   
  
She opened the book and looked at the picture it held. On it was Kel, her book under her arm and her face close to Zaden's as she told him something. Zaden was smiling down at her and his hand was one her...  
  
"Oh, my." murmured Abby, and she quickly flipped the page. On it was a picture of Erik reading a note, and on the opposite page was the note.  
  
  
  
Dear Erik,  
  
How goes everything? I hope all is better now than it was before. Personally I feel that the Princess Abigail cannot possibly be as bad as you described her, for I have heard great things about her kindness. I don't think you should call Abby your "Stupid human pet" either. If the council ever heard about that you'd be in for it. Cheerio!  
  
Mr. K  
  
"Erik, you stupid, worthless, lying...." raged Abby through clenched teeth. She slammed the book shut and jumped onto her bed. If sleeping was the only way to escape her reality, than so be it. 


	5. A Vicious Truth...

Fate  
  
By: Sweet Honey  
  
Chapter Four: A Vicious Truth...  
  
  
  
"Abby!" yelled a voice, and the poor Princess was shaken awake.   
  
"Wha-where's the fire?" asked Abby, sitting up straight and disoriented. She looked at the pretty old woman sitting on her bed and laughed happily. "Nana!"  
  
The older woman smiled and let Abby hug her. Abby's grandmother was the most famous Queen there had ever been, and the most well liked too. not to mention the most well loved person in Abby's life. Even in her old age she was pretty, with her green eyes and pure white hair. After Abby had finished her squeezing, Nana Ella put her finger to her lip and motioned for Abby to stay quiet.  
  
Suddenly Abby had a bad feeling. "Nana, why are you here?" she asked, looking out her window. "It's nearly midnight! Is anything wrong?"  
  
"Something is horribly wrong." replied her Nana, and she got up. "Your sister has run off with Zaden-"  
  
"That's a BAD THING?!"  
  
"-and they are off to find the Divine Gem." finished her Nana. "I take it you know what it is?"  
  
Abby nodded, dumbfounded. "Nana, I hate to say this, but I really really don't care that Kel ran away with her fairy toy." she said, surpressing a smile. "I wish them all the happiness in the world-"  
  
"Oh, shush, this is more important than your sister running away." said the older woman. "They are looking for the Divine Gem! They cannot find it!"  
  
Abby shrugged. "Why not? I mean, I doubt if they..." but her voice trailed off as she remembered the fate of the one who had wielded the stone. As much as she disliked her sister, she didn't want her to die. "Do you think Kel may die?"  
  
"No, I don't believe that Zaden would find much use for Kel after the Gem was discovered." said Nana Ella. "There's only one reason he brought her and consequently only one reason that I came here to tell you this; The Divine Gem cannot be taken from its resting place by anyone other than royalty."  
  
Abby cringed, suddenly having a terrible thought. "Oh no..."  
  
Nana Ella stood tall and pointed her finger at Abby. "Oh yes! You see we can't have those two idiots getting the stone first, now can we-"  
  
"Oh, no Nana-"  
  
"-so you see someone else is going to have to get to it first..."  
  
"Nana, just don't say it, okay? Just don't-"  
  
"And that person, the last living of the royal line, is YOU!" bellowed Nana Ella, pointing her finger at the horrified Abby. "Your father and my son, bless his heart, is dead. Your mother is no more royalty in her blood than a milkmaid. YOU must find the Divine Gem before your sister and dispose of it, or the destruction of your kingdom will come sooner than you ever thought possible."  
  
"Kel wouldn't destroy her kingdom!" cried Abby, hoping against hope that her Nana would take back what she has said.   
  
"Who ever said anything about Kelamarie destroying it?"  
  
Abby's blood turned to ice as she realized what her Nana meant. "Oh..but I'm too young to go on an adventure like that! I have practically no skills! I-" she stopped she realized that she was contradicting everything she had ever said in her entire life about the usefulness of women. She flopped backwards onto her bed with a groan. She'd wanted to be a spokesperson for her cause, not a martyr.  
  
"I'm going to die doing this, aren't I?"  
  
Her Nana Ella rolled her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic. Many people less brave and skilled than you have gone out on adventures and come back just fine. All right, so some of them were maimed, but that shouldn't happen to you..."  
  
"You're...not....helping."  
  
Suddenly Abby's Nana cocked her head to one side and waved her arms about frantically. "Quickly, pack! You have to leave immediately!" she cried, but before she could speak anymore Queen Lyddia entered the room.   
  
"Dear mother-in-law, it would seem that you are in the only place in the castle which no one is allowed to enter." said the Queen. "I would appreciate it greatly if you would leave this room immediately."  
  
As she watched her Nana leave Abby thoroughly wished that her Nana had taken the title of Queen long ago. Then she wouldn't be treated like just another visitor in the castle that SHE owned!  
  
After Abby's Nana had left, Queen Lyddia entered the room. "You are not, I repeat, NOT To have any visitors of any kind. I can't believe you would get your grandmother involved in this-" She knew that her Nana had come by her own free will "- and for that you will stay here, in this room, for the next two weeks."  
  
Inside of Abby a little explosion went off, tearing apart all reason and pride. "Are you insane?!" screeched Abby, and she lunged at her mother. Thankfully (for the Queen that is) two guards grabbed her and pulled her back into the room. "That could be taken as treason," said the beautiful Queen as she adjusted her dress robes. "But considering the situation, I believe I'll just leave it alone."  
  
After the guards left Abby crumbled to the floor. Her heart ached as she realized what she had been trying to do, how she had lunged at her mother....  
  
"...you're vicious like your mother-"  
  
"Stop it." Abby whispered, pulling her hands over her ears. "Stop."  
  
"You most certainly are, and you know it."   
  
"Leave me alone...." she cried, tears falling onto her silk dress and trailing down her cheeks. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts in the process, and clenched her fists. "My fate, my life is my own! I won't let her keep me locked up like a dog!"  
  
Abby grabbed her traveling bag and packed only two dresses, a nightgown and some *neccessities*. With that done she happily scrubbed her face and set off....about halfway across the room before she realized that there was no way out of her room, unless she felt like taking a diving leap into the moat.  
  
She sat on her bed with a loud thud, and her little bubble of purpose popped. She looked at the gloves on her hand and sighed. There was nothing different now than there had been when she was seven. She was still a helpless and sheltered girl, dominated by her mother and ridiculed at every turn. She sighed again, looked up and jumped nearly a foot into the air.  
  
"Er-Erik! How'd you get in here?!" she cried. "If my mother ever finds out you were in here..."  
  
"What? She'd nag me to death?" he asked snidely, leaning against Abby's window. "You know, your darling mother out there is a total monster. I mean, I don't like humans either, but I'd never think of locking one up in its room!"  
  
Abby didn't really like being called an "it" but she digressed. "Erik, all day people have been breaking into my room. Mostly, they were people I wasn't very fond of. Erik, you are one of those people." she said, and sat down in a chair. "Tell me why you're here."  
  
"Orders." he said, rolling up the sleeves on his red tunic (Abby shivered as she remembered the blood covering his other shirt). "I have been ordered by a very persuasive old lady to get you out of the castle and accompany you on a journey, Needless to say, I am not very happy about this."  
  
"Oh, and I'm positively ecstatic."   
  
"Well, I know you'd much rather be with your dear Zaden than have your sister with him."  
  
"Get real!" yelled Abby. "That guy is a total creep, not to mention a sadist. I've already decided to go after him and make sure he doesn't get the Divine Gem." After a moment she really wished she hadn't added that last part.  
  
"Ah, so you've decided to go and save your kingdom? How noble." said Erik, and he didn't look very happy about it. "I guess I'm going to have to get you out of this room then..."  
  
"You'd better not be planning on throwing me out the window."  
  
"Okay, I'm going to have to find a NEW way to get you out of this room." said Erik and he walked around for a bit. Suddenly he stopped and said, "Do you have everything your going to need?"  
  
Abby held up her bag (which she's been holding for about five minutes) and rolled her eyes. "I think I'm all set."   
  
"Good." said Erik, and he swooped up Abby and flew out the window.   
  
"PUT-ME-DOWN-PUT-ME-DOWN-YOU-ASS!" screeched Abby, whacking Erik with her bag. "You are NOT supposed to do this to a Princess."  
  
"True. But right now you're not a Princess. You're a fugitive."  
  
"Great." said Abby submissively, looking up and sighing. "As if being a Princess wasn't bad enough." 


	6. Harsh Revelations

Fate  
  
By: Sweet Honey  
  
Chapter Five: Harsh Revelations...  
  
Erik did finally put Abby down, much to her relief. "Where are we?" she asked, looking about her in awe. "This place is so strange."  
  
Erik raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised you don't recognize your own kingdom."  
  
Abby blushed in the dark and clasped her bag close to her. "Well, I don't get out of my room much, let alone the castle." she said. "Why did you bring me here anyways?"  
  
Erik walked towards one of the larger cottages. "We can stay here until morning and then set off." he said, and Abby followed him into the inn. He whispered low to her. "Let me do all the talking. They would never take a woman seriously here."  
  
If looks could have killed Erik would have been pushing up daises in seconds. Instead, he turned calmly to a man standing behind a desk and asked, "Do you have any vacant rooms this evening?"  
  
"Why yessir we most certainly do." said the owner, eyeing Erik's ears and then Abby (taking great pains to avoid eye contact with her). "Who's yer lady friend?"  
  
"I'm his human pet!" said Abby in an amazingly high and cheery voice. She blinked a lot and tugged at her hair. "I have to stay with Erik or else I'll be in big trouble, being a girl and all!"  
  
"Abby, that is not funny..." said Erik, grabbing her wrist and squeezing until she reverted back to her normal self. "You're going to get us in trouble if you keep pulling funny little tricks like that."  
  
"OUCH! Get your hands off me, Erik."  
  
"Uh...excuse me." said the poor owner, looking extremely confused and uncomfortable. "I really don't think you should be hurting this poor girl here."  
  
Erik shot him a bad look and said, "She's my sister. As I asked before, do you have any vacant rooms?"  
  
"Yah, just one though." said the owner, and before Abby could open her mouth to protest Erik had a good grip on her wrist again. "Room 4 to the right. You want it?"  
  
"Yes, thank you." said Erik, and he dragged Abby to the room. Once he had the door safely shot behind him he turned to Abby, hi face full of anger. "Don't you ever pull something like that again! Now he thinks I'm going to beat you or something!"  
  
Abby sat in a chair. "I must have misunderstood you. You see, I thought you WANTED me to act like a stupid little girl. You were treating me like one at least." she said solemnly, adjusting her gloves. She looked up at Erik and smirked.   
  
"I really hate you humans." said Erik as he gracefully plopped onto the ground. "With a passion."  
  
Abby laughed outright and Erik looked at her like she was crazy. "That wasn't really the reaction I was expecting." said Erik coldly.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. I really am." she said, and finally stopped laughing. She wiped away some tears that had been forming in her eyes and said, "I just found it funny, that's all. That you should hate humans so much, and be forced to protect one. The fact that my mother probably knew this about you too and still picked you to protect me is also pretty funny."  
  
Abby started to laugh again and then stopped suddenly. "Maybe it's not that funny." she said, rubbing her gloved hands fiercely and shaking her head. "I think I'm starting to dislike humanity too."  
  
"Why do you do that?" asked Erik, giving Abby a look that she couldn't read.   
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Rub your hands like that." stated Erik, and his eyes widened. "Actually, I don't believe I've ever seen you without gloves on either. Are you hands deformed or something?"  
  
"No." said Abby, hiding her hands behind her back and turning away from Erik. "There is nothing wrong with my hands that is any of your business."  
  
"Ah, but I'm your Champion!" said Erik and he advanced toward Abby. "Everything about you is my business."  
  
He leaped at the screeching Abby and grabbed her hands, laughing. "Oh c'mon! Let me see I'm interested!" he said cheerfully, and ripped the gloves off her hands.  
  
"Wha-WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU HANDS?!"  
  
"Damn you." said Abby tearfully, grabbing her gloves back and putting them on quickly. "That was low Erik, even for you."  
  
"How did that happen?" asked Erik gently, and he looked at her with...compassion? No, only interest.   
  
"It happened a long time ago, when I was just a little girl." she said, falling to the ground in defeat. "Please, I don't want to talk about it."  
  
Erik sat there for a moment thoughtfully. "You know, in the F‚erique Terre there was once a Champion who returned with a dreadful story. It was about a Queen who made her daughter pick up pieces of broken porcelain. What a coincidence."  
  
"Please, just stop" said Abby, keeping her eyes downcast. "I-I really don't want to talk about it."She waited for a retort from Erik, but it never came. Instead, he got up and walked toward the door. "Fine, I'll drop it. I wanted to go down to get a drink anyway. But...I want to say that its strange that your going on a quest to save the world that seems to have treated you very badly."  
  
"I can't condemn the entire world because of the actions of a few." she said, her voice even and sharp. Erik shook his head and said something about how strange humans were. But for some reason Abby nearly smiled; it must have been Erik's tone of voice.  
  
*****  
  
"Zaden, sweetie, can I come in?" asked the Princess Kelamarie meekly. Zaden looked up from the piles of paper he had been shifting through.   
  
"Of course, my heart." he said slowly, a tense smile forming on his face. Kel didn't notice.  
  
"Sweetie, when are we going to go into the city like you said we would?" she asked in a sweet voice, batting her eyelashes and wringing her delicate hands. She looked around the dreary castle and grimaced inwardly at the damp and dull surroundings that she had put up with for nearly three days now.  
  
"Love of my life: You are annoying me." he said, his smile widening. "I have work to do and whining is not going to help me complete it. Besides, I'm waiting for a letter from an associate of mine."  
  
"An associate huh?" she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why all the secrecy Zaden? Why can't I know who this 'associate' is?"  
  
"All in due time, Keeper of my Heart." he said, and waved his hand. "Now would you please leave?"  
  
"All right; I'm leaving." said Kel and she left the room. Zaden gave a sigh of relief when she left and shook his head.   
  
"My Zaden, you've certainly acquired a lovely wench." said a dark figure from behind the shadows. "However, she seems terribly annoying. Anyways, you called me here for a reason, I gather."  
  
"Ah yes, I do have a little task for you Skar." said Zaden, rising from his seat. "You see, there are two people who are annoying me greatly at the moment, although they are no where near this place. I need you to take care of them."  
  
"In other words, you want me to kill them." said Skar in a lilting voice. "Well, I'll certainly agree to that-"  
  
"-You are not to kill the both of them." said Zaden, fixing a look on Skar that could have frozen water. "You are to kill the fairy boy and to retrieve the girl for me."  
  
Skar looked heartbroken. "Why don't I get to kill them both?" he asked in a whine. "I never thought you cared for human chicks, Zaden. Surely this one isn't that important-"  
  
"But she is." he said even more coldly. "She represents everything that I loathe in humans: They're strong will to survive, they're compassion for the weak and suffering who were never meant to survive anyways and most importantly they're stubbornness."  
  
"You really don't seem to like this girl...so I take it that if I slipped up and accidentally cut off one of her limbs-"  
  
"-I would kill you in the most painful way I know." said Zaden, and without warning he grabbed the shrouded figure and began to shout almost hysterically. "I WILL BE the one to break her! I SHALL DESTROY ALL THOSE HUMAN INSECTS AND RID US OF OUR SLAVERY TO THEM ETERNALLY! AND THOSE THAT HAPPEN TO SURVIVE WILL BECOME MY SLAVES! AND SHE WILL BE THEIR REMINDER OF WHAT AN INDEPENDENT SPIRIT BECOMES! I WILL KEEP HER ALIVE ETERNALLY AND TORTURE HER FOREVER, A SIGN OF MY CONTEMPT FOR HUMANITY AND AN ETERNAL SOURCE OF AMUSEMENT FOR ME!"  
  
By the end of his tirade Zaden was smiling gleefully and his voice had gone from harsh to delighted. Skar began to laugh and nearly cried. "Why didn't you tell me that in the first place? That is BRILLIANT! You must promise me that I can watch sometimes..what a treat! I really want to meet this girl now."  
  
Zaden laughed again and sat down. "Yes, you will most certainly meet her. But do not forget to kill the fair boy with her, or I shall be privileged enough to have two people to torture."  
  
"Of course, I would never let him live! You know how I savor spilled blood..."  
  
"Zaden?" came Kel's voice from the hallway. "Is there anything wrong, my Darling? You sounded like you were in pain..."  
  
"All is fine, my Light of Love." he said called out, and listened to Kel sigh and retreat back down the hallway. Skar shivered.  
  
"How can you put up with that detestable human? I'm surprised she still has all her limbs, after acting like that around you for so long."  
  
Zaden started to sort through his papers again and murmured, "She is to become terribly useful to me." 


	7. Nature Stinks

Fate  
  
By: Sweet Honey  
  
Chapter Six: Nature Stinks  
  
"Isn't it a nice day, Erik?" asked Abby as she walked down the dusty road. She had never seen so many trees and flowers in her entire life, and was positively ecstatic with nature as a whole. "Look at that! It looks like a bunch of apple trees!"  
  
"Amazing." said Erik flatly, watching as Abby sped into the apple grove. He slowly followed her and grumbled, "Why are you so happy? You're driving me insane."  
  
He walked among the apple trees and looked around. "Where the hell are you, Abby?" he said, hovering a couple of feet above the ground. "I don't like this game."  
  
WHACK  
  
"Ha, I got you!"  
  
"You bitch, apples aren't known to be very soft!" bellowed Erik, speeding toward the tree limb Abby was sitting on and rubbing his head.   
  
"Hey, after that whole catching -an-arrow-with-your-hand thing, I though you could catch a stupid apple! she said with mock anger. "Really Erik, you surprise me sometimes!"  
  
She threw another apple at him, and this time he caught it. He looked at it and hovered the last couple of feet so that he was directly in front of her. "I can't believe your so happy, after what happened last night." he said, taking a big bite out of his apple. "I mean, the memory of that didn't seem very pleasant to me."  
  
"It wasn't exactly pleasant for me either." said Abby, rolling her apple around in her hands. "That's why I'm using the beautiful today to make up for the horrible yesterday."  
  
"That seems like a good idea." said Erik, and he sat down next to Abby. "However, we can't spend the entire day prancing around in apple tree's and throwing hard objects at eachother while we have a mission."  
  
"You're determined to ruin my good mood, aren't you?"  
  
"Possibly." answered Erik, throwing what was left of his apple onto the ground. "What I want doesn't matter, because I have been forced to take you to the place where the Divine Gem is and have you return it to the castle. Because of my being forced to do this I am not very happy, so you'll excuse me if this-" and he waved his arm around, indicating the trees "-is not exactly as wonderful for me as it is for you."  
  
"You have no personality, do you?" asked Abby, and she jumped down gracefully from the tree. "Jeez, Erik! If you want to get going so bad, we better start now. Let's get going!"  
  
They walked along for a couple of hours, much to Abby's dismay. She had never really done anything physical back at the castle, and she just wasn't cut out for long walks. Her feet were aching, her back was on fire and nature just wasn't as appealing as it had first seemed, especially after she ha tripped and stepped into a pile of cow manure. She was relieved to no end when Erik announced that they could take a break.   
  
They were at the top of a waterfall, and Abby sighed and fell to the ground, exhausted. "What, no comment about the beauty of nature?" asked Erik cynically. "I'm shocked, Princess! Nature doesn't get much lovelier than this."  
  
Abby took of her boots and stuck her feet into a calmer part of the waterfall. "Erik, why can't you just shut up about 'the beauty of nature'?"  
  
"What a hyp-o-crite!" drew out Erik with a laugh. "After all that, 'Look Erik a flower! How lovely!' and 'Oh Erik, has the grass ever seemed greener?' and 'Look Erik, cow shit! How absolutely divine-"  
  
"Oh shut up!" screeched Abby, and she kicked water at him. "You have no idea how much my feet are killing me."  
  
Erik fell to the ground next to Abby and smiled snidely. "You humans are so weak!" he said. "I have so much power over you right now that its disgusting. One push from me and you'd go flying over this waterfall, and you still act like I'm your equal! Why aren't you afraid of me?"  
  
Abby shrugged and laid back, not really caring to much about anything. "Well, I have this strange philosophy about you." she said, wincing as the sun blinded her momentarily. "I think that you just act all tough and ruthless all the time because you're really a nice guy. You want me to think that your evil incarnate, but I'm not buying it."  
  
"Well you, dear Princess, would love for me to believe your little apathy act." Erik shot back. "You pretend like everything that your mother or your sister or even I say doesn't affect you, when it really does. I would love if you would just admit, for once, that you aren't always happy or optimistic. I feel like your just one big fake."  
  
Abby didn't say anything for a minute. "Maybe I do pretend sometimes." she said slowly. "But that's only because no one has ever treated me like my feelings matter anyway. But right now, I don't feel like I have to pretend like I'm something I'm not. It just doesn't seem...important."  
  
"Really? Well maybe you'll stop annoying me now." he said, getting up and brushing dirt off of his pants.  
  
"Oh, I doubt it." said the princess, and she got up too. "Annoying you is fun, and besides I won't stop annoying YOU until you stop annoying ME."  
  
"I think they call that 'infinity'" commented Erik, and he opened his mouth to say something else but a sound from behind one of the trees stopped him.  
  
"What was that?" Abby whispered, bending down and retrieving her bag. She clutched it close to her and looked at Erik. He opened a pouch on his belt and took out some sandy substance.   
  
"Whoever you are, I demand for you to come out." he said. Something from inside the tree whizzed out at Erik. Abby threw herself against him and Erik opened his hand and the powder floated around them, creating a strange whirlwind of blue. When Abby opened her eyes she realized that she was in a cave behind the waterfall. She let go of Erik and leaned again a damp wall, clutching at her bag.   
  
"I was so scared." she said breathlessly, looking at Erik. He looked edgy to, and he kept looking around. "What the heck was that thing?"  
  
"It was some sort of assassin, I believe." he said and Abby's eyes widened in horror. "And it won't give up so easily, so be on your toes."  
  
Abby nodded and took a step forward. Instead of moving normally, her legs betrayed her and she lurched to the ground. Erik caught her easily and made an exasperated sound. "Really Abby, this is a bad time to start the fainting damsel-in-distress act!" he whispered heatedly.   
  
Erik expected her to make a sarcastic remark, but Abby only clung to Erik's shirt and whispered, "I can't feel my legs."  
  
"Um, excuse me?!" said Erik, and he leaned Abby gently against the wall. He reached behind her back and Abby felt a slight release of pressure. She saw in his hand a small dart, and Erik seemed mad as hell. "A poisonous dart, and one that wasn't made for a human either."  
  
He sniffed at it for a minute and said, "This is a special poison made for fairies. This dart wasn't meant for you." He looked down at Abby who smiled up at him pathetically.  
  
"Does that mean I saved you life?" she said, and suddenly the world tilted woozily and she heard a strange, deep laugh from above. She clung onto Erik, helpless and scared. "Please don't leave me like this!"  
  
Erik lifted her up and she clung onto him with the little strength she had left. "I promise, I won't let you die." he murmured, and Abby was surprised by how kind he sounded.   
  
"See? I always said you were good.." she said, and felt the world swing around even more before she blacked out totally.  
  
  
  
*****  
  
"Poor little darling!" said a sweet but tearful voice. "Who would have thought that our Erik would ever get such a pretty girl into so much trouble?"  
  
"Hey Erik, it was nice of you to bring home such a pretty one! Hehehehe...I bet traveling with this one has been a lot of fun!" said a cheerful but deep voice.  
  
"You perverted old fairy, go do something useful." said the female voice again. Abby's eyes fluttered open and the voice said happily, "Ah, look! I think she's coming around!"  
  
The woman smiled one of those quick, nice smiles that most mothers gave their children (not Abby's though, never hers). She had her gray streaked auburn hair pulled back in a tight bun and her deep brown eyes sparkled as she thrust a tray with food toward the frazzled princess. "Well hello there stranger, it's nice to see you awake."  
  
Abby muttered a brief hello as she investigated the room. It was small but clean, with its white washed walls and pretty yellow curtains. Everything in the room was either yellow or white, except of course for herself and the lady. She turned her head and saw a small table where a man was sitting.   
  
"Little missy, you had quite a time." he said, his bright blue eyes dancing with merriment. "You must be either an idiot or a saint, to have saved Erik at your own peril."  
  
"Saved Erik? Huh? Where am I?" asked Abby quickly, alarmed as she woke up fully.   
  
"My word, don't you go confusing the poor girl after what she's been through!" said the woman, tucking in my covers and making it hard for Abby to move.   
  
"I was just making a comment." he said, and winked at Abby. He had long gray hair, pulled back in a ponytail, and a very cheerful voice. "It was my own way of thanking her for saving Erik."  
  
"That's all well and good." said Abby, speaking slowly in her muddled. "But I would really appreciate it if you would tell me where I am."  
  
The woman smacked her head.  
  
"Ach! Sometimes I can be so dense-"  
  
"-that's true."  
  
"Shuddup you." she said viciously to the man, and she turned back to Abby with a smile. "You're in the F‚erique Terre, the Lower Eastern Side."  
  
"WHAT!?"  
  
The woman's eyes widened and Abby clamped a hand over her mouth as she realized how rude she had been. "I-I'm so sorry..." she started, but the woman laughed and shook her head to silence the princess.  
  
"Don't worry darling, I realize it was a shock for you. " she said, and handed Abby a glass of water from the tray. She got up and walked over to the little table. "You probably don't even remember what happened, do you?"  
  
"Um...well I kind of do." said Abby, and she took a little sip of the water. "I was poisoned, right?"  
  
"Exactly." said the woman. "And Erik brought you here because only fairy's can administer the cure for that sort of poison."  
  
The older man smiled cheekily at Abby and added, "I can't believe you saved Erik! Boy, is he going to be mad when he realizes that he is in the debt of a human!"  
  
The fairy woman smacked him upside the head and frowned. "Erik is a good boy, and I won't have you bad mouthing him in front of such a pretty (not to mention rich) girl."  
  
"Oh, are you Erik's parents?" asked Abby hesitantly.   
  
The woman shook her head. "Oh no dearie. We're more like mentors to him. His parents have been dead for a long time."  
  
"Besides, do you think a boy as smart as that could be related to this woman?" asked the fairy man cheerfully.  
  
Another smack was administered.   
  
"Woman, would you please refrain from hitting me?"  
  
"Would you please stop opening your mouth and proving what an idiot you are?" she asked, and the two of them exchanged glares until the older man laughed.   
  
"My dear Mrs. K, you're to much for an old man like me!"  
  
"Mr. K, are too old a man for me."  
  
"HA!" he yelled, and Abby giggled. These two were sort of funny (how could she have thought they were Erik's parents?). Without warning she began to feel drowsy, and yawned.  
  
"Oh sweetie, I didn't realize that you were still tired." said Mrs. K, and she gave Abby's bed coverings on more good going over. "We'll talk later, all right?"  
  
"Okay." said Abby comfortably. "By the way, where is Erik?"  
  
"Oh, he's out and about somewhere." said Mrs. K with a smile on her face. "Don't worry dear, everything's going to be fine."  
  
"Nice..." Abby said as she fell softly asleep. 


	8. A Bit Anti-social

Fate  
  
By Sweet Honey   
  
Chapter Seven: A Bit Anti-social  
  
At about the time Princess Abby was gaining some well deserved down time, her former maid Tirah was trying to cover up the fact that there were not one, but two missing princesses. Covering up Abby's absence was much easier than covering up the fact that the Queen's beloved daughter Kel was gone.  
  
"Are you sure that Kel's tripidekanitis is contagious?" asked the Queen suspiciously, and Tirah nodded hurriedly. The Queen narrowed her eyes at the young maid and replied, "Well, I guess I'll check up on her later then."  
  
As soon as the Queen left Tirah the poor girl collapsed into the chair that she had stationed in front of Kel's room. It was bad enough that she couldn't find out where Abby and Kel where, but she was also forced to make sure that the Queen didn't find out that they were gone or she'd be in deep trouble. She saw an older woman scurry across her view and the maid bolted upright and ran after the figure.   
  
"Hey, I've been looking for you everywhere!" gasped the exhausted Tirah when she finally caught up with the figure.  
  
Abby's grandmother Ella smiled weakly. "Why? Is there something that I can help you with-"  
  
"Tell me where Abby and Kel have run off to!" whispered Tirah heatedly, and the older woman narrowed her eyes.   
  
"You're a sly one, aren't you?" said Ella. "Why exactly do you plan to do with that knowledge (which, by the way, I do not have)."  
  
"I'm going to go after them!" said Tirah, leaning against a wall. "Two princess' out in a place that they've never been...they need my help. And if they're with those Champions of theirs...well, I don't trust them at all! Tell me where they are, please!"  
  
Ella shrugged. "They could be anywhere." she said with a wave of her hand, yet in the next moment her eyes were clouded and her expression was slack. "They went out to find the Divine Gem, in two different pairs. You'll never find them."  
  
Tirah cocked her head to one side and gave the old matriarch half a smile. "Thanks, that's all I needed to know." she said, and turned around.   
  
"Wait!" said Ella, shaking her head and staring at Tirah as if she had never quite seen her before. "What-what are you?"  
  
"Me? I'm just the maid." replied a smirking Tirah.  
  
  
  
******  
  
"So your finally up." said Erik as he entered Abby's room. "Mr. and Mrs. K said that it was okay for me to see you."  
  
"They're wonderful!" said Abby happily, as she stretched. "Really funny too. I wish they were my parents."  
  
Erik looked away when she said that and Abby felt a pang of pity. "I'm sorry Erik." she said.   
  
"For what? Did they tell you that my parents were dead? That I'm pitiful? Please, I don't want your pity."  
  
"Well fine." said Abby snidely. "Anyway, I wanted to thank you."  
  
"Thank me?" said Erik, and he eyed the princess suspiciously. "For what, pray tell?"  
  
"For saving me of course." answered Abby, and Erik looked bewildered. "What, it's not that shocking that I would thank you. I mean, I know your not that...thrilled about having to travel with me. And it probably would have been better for you to just leave me there to rot, considering your feelings toward me and all. But you didn't, and I'm very grateful."  
  
"You know, you turned seven different shades of red when you said that. Amazing."   
  
"Shuddup."  
  
They looked at eachother in silence for a moment and Erik finally said in a low voice, "I should be the one thanking you."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I told you: that poison wasn't meant for you in the first place." he said as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "And besides, I saw what you did. You threw yourself against me and now I know why. You saw that dart coming at me didn't you?"  
  
Abby looked out through her window. "I might have." she said and clutched a piece of her bedspread in her hand. "But right now, I'm thinking that was a pretty good idea. You obviously don't hate me, of you went out of your way to save me. And plus you were so nice to me when you-"  
  
"Get real, Princess!" interrupted Erik, running a hand threw his hair as he got up. "Just because I saved you doesn't mean that I LIKE YOU. It's a part of my job, and that's the only reason that I saved you. You, and every other human, is detestable to me. So stop with these little ideas of yours that I may be starting to even remotely like you, because I don't. In fact, I can't think of ANYONE who likes you.""A horrible thing to say to a sick person, don't you think?" asked Abby dryly. Erik opened his mouth to say something but stormed out of the room instead. He would have stormed right out of the small cottage is he hadn't banged into Mr. K before he reached the door.   
  
"Me and you. A talk. NOW!" he said angrily, and yanked Erik into his study, closing the door behind them. "I heard what you said to that girl, Erik. She didn't deserve that kind of treatment and you know it."  
  
When Erik didn't answer Mr. K went on. "She was just trying to be nice to you, you know. Why do you have to push away every person that tries to get close to you-"  
  
"I don't want to be close to a human!" yelled Erik, clenching his fists. "Humans are good-for-nothings who use fairy's as slaves. They are all selfish, sadistic, mean and prejudiced people who don't care about anything but themselves!"  
  
"Sounds like you've acquired all the traits that you despise in others." said Mr. K calmly as he inspected an old book with faint amusement.   
  
"I can't sit here and listen to your crap!" bellowed Erik.   
  
"Fine. Your free to leave." said Mr. K, shutting his book and moving away from the door. "If anything though, your mad at yourself and I know why. So don't take it out on that girl because your probably right: she has been abandoned by those who should love her...sound familiar?"  
  
"Why exactly should I be mad at myself?!" asked Erik as he opened the door.  
  
"Because you may be caring for a human, for the first time in your life. Remember: There's always going to be people that hurt you so...what you have to do is be more careful about who you trust the next time around" said Mr. K, and Erik slammed the door behind him.  
  
*****  
  
"Dearie, can I come in?" asked Mrs. K some minutes after Erik had left.  
  
"Sure." Abby answered. Her smile was amazingly bright but Mrs. K could still make out faint trails of tears.   
  
"Honey...I need to tell you something." said the aged fairy as she sat on the side of Abby's bed. "But if I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone, all right?"  
  
"Of course, I would never tell something if you didn't think I should." said Abby as she thought of how much she liked the fairy. "Your secret is safe with me."  
  
"I'm glad." said Mrs. K, and she lowered her voice. "It's about Erik...your see, Erik isn't 100% fairy; he's half human too."  
  
Abby thought she was going to have a stroke. "You must be joking." she said, sitting upright and nearly knocking heads with the fairy. "He hates humans...but how can he if he IS one?"  
  
"He doesn't consider himself human." said Mrs. K. "His father was a fairy and very handsome in fact. He had little fling with pretty but poor girl when he was very young, and when he found out she was pregnant he got scared and left her. The poor girl was so distraught...we all think it may have done something to her, mentally."  
  
Mrs. K paused for moment and sighed She looked over at a vase on the table and her eyes shimmered with tears. "If we had known...if that young, idiotic fairy had just told someone then we would have gone and retrieved him. But as it turned out, Erik stayed with his mother for the first decade of his life. In her broken mind, Erik's mother always blamed him for his fathers absence and her failure in life. Her hatred of him would sometimes flare and she'd beat him. But the worst part, I think, was that no one did anything to stop her. They all shunned Erik because of what he was and he was picked on by the other village children. Finally, when Mr. K and I were on a trip we came across him. We decided we would take care of him here and his mother was more than happy to get rid of him."  
  
She looked up and was startled to see tears running down Abby's eyes. She offered Abby a pretty yellow cloth and Abby held it up to her eyes. "I thought such horrible things about him...I said such horrible things to him too." she said thickly. "And all that time...we're very alike and he can't even stand me."  
  
"I think your wrong. I get the feeling that Erik likes you more than he's letting on." said Mrs. K. "Anyway, are you feeling any better? If you are you should get dressed and go for a walk around our house. It's very nice here, we even have our own little pond."  
  
Abby nodded as she wiped away the last of her tears. Mrs. K left the princess a pretty dress to wear, although it was definitely something that she would never have been able to wear in the castle. It was a very very light blue, nearly white, with off the shoulder sleeves and a strap that went behind her neck so that the bodice wouldn't fall down. It was a little tight on the top but flowed out nicely as it fell. She looked at herself in the mirror and rolled her eyes as she realized just how tight it was on top. She wondered if this was the "teenage fairy" fashion, even the she herself felt a little like a prostitute in something so tight. She felt a twinge of sorrow as she realized that her favorite boots were still back at the waterfall and she opted for soft white slippers instead.   
  
She walked out of and around the small cottage which certainly seemed much larger on the inside (which it was, in fact...just some useful fairy magic!). She gasped as she saw the pond, tracing the dancing colors on its surface with her eyes. Everything seemed so spectacularly real here that it made her head spin. She was startled to see Erik sitting on a rock near the ponds edge, throwing stones into the calm water.   
  
She sat down silently beside him and he didn't seem to mind although he didn't acknowledge her presence either. They sat in silence for a long time and finally Erik said, "I'm sorry for what I said before...it was a mean thing to say."  
  
"You really shouldn't be sorry." said Abby as she picked up a rock and skipped it along the waters length. "What I mean is that you're right and it shouldn't hurt me that you've realized it before I have."  
  
"That's really a horrible thing to say." said Erik and he gave Abby a strange look.  
  
"What, that your right? Yah I know, that poison must have done something to my head huh..."  
  
Erik threw another rock in frustration. "That's not what I meant and you know it!"  
  
"Yah, I know." said Abby in a low voice. "I should apologize to, for going all sentimental on you...I don't know, I guess I was just a little happy that I thought you might like me. My mistake."  
  
"Your face is turning red again."   
  
"You watch my face to much."  
  
"Actually I was distracted by the color of your eyes. The light really makes them seem to glow." replied Erik, and Abby looked away and began to rub her gloved hands together. Erik grabbed one of her hands. "Stop that, its annoys me that you start rubbing your hands together every time you feel self conscious. I meant what I said as a compliment, not an insult...your blushing again."  
  
"I've been blushing way to much recently." said Abby with a smile and got up, but Erik pulled her back down again.   
  
"I don't hate you." he mumbled, and let go of her hand.   
  
"Does that mean that you like me?" asked Abby slowly and she looked at Erik with her strange unwavering stare. "You can lie, if you want."  
  
Erik didn't say anything and Abby pulled her hand away. As she was walking toward the cottage she suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind.  
  
"I don't want to like you, I really don't." murmured Erik as he pressed himself against her. But Abby didn't hear him, because at the moment she was being bombarded with mental images that she couldn't place or make sense of. Images of Erik as a child, trying to hug his mother as the beautiful woman screamed and pushed him away while punching and kicking at him surrounded the princess and she felt a burst of emotion in her chest.   
  
She turned and wrapped her arms around him and whispered, "Too bad" 


	9. Betrayal

Fate  
  
By Sweet Honey   
  
Chapter Eight: Betrayal  
  
"Well, it was very nice to meet you Abby." said Mrs. K tearfully, and she hugged Abby with all her strength.  
  
"Thank you so much for taking care of me, and also for the wonderful meal." replied Abby. Mrs. K had prepared a fabulous feast as a parting gift for the pair complete with *the best* of the fairy dishes (which included a flying roast beef and exploding mashed potatoes). The Princess felt she may have enjoyed it more if Erik hadn't been so quiet and sullen during the meal. In fact, even as she stood beside him now, she felt that he was withdrawing from her. When he had hugged her near the pond earlier he had broken the hold quicker than she had expected and walked away as if nothing had happened.   
  
Abby was starting to wonder if he regretted what he had done.  
  
The silence that surrounded Abby was stifling and she tried her hardest to make conversation. She commented on anything and everything but usually only got either a nod or a one word answer from Erik. Finally all the pressure that Abby had been holding snapped and she asked, ""Would you please stop being a jerk and make an attempt at friendly conversation?"  
  
"Would you please keep your mouth shut for a second?" asked the fairy mildly as he adjusted his sleeve.  
  
"So, you want me to be quiet and I want you to be interesting. This is a lose lose situation." commented Abby and she felt herself slowly deflate. Without warning she stopped and sat down on the grass.  
  
"What are you doing?" asked Erik, who also stopped. "We've only been walking for about an hour, you shouldn't feel tired yet."  
  
Abby smoothed her dress over her legs and opened her bag. "Well, it seems that you don't like to walk or talk with me so I figure you'd be happier if I sat quietly instead." she said without emotion, although she was feeling hurt by Erik's demeanor. It was obvious now that he was regretting what he had done earlier that day.   
  
"Why do you keep staring at me like that?!" said Erik with exasperation.   
  
"I'm trying to imagine you with a personality!" retorted Abby, and she immediately regretted saying it.  
  
"What a coincidence, I was just visualizing you with a mouth gag." said Erik.  
  
Abby shook her head and sighed. "Look, I don't want to fight with you." she said. "You know Erik...we could pretend like it didn't happen."  
  
Erik didn't answer her for a long time and Abby thought that maybe he hadn't heard her. She was about to repeat herself when Erik sat down beside her, wrapping his arms around his legs gracefully. "This is my fault; I've been acting like a jerk all day and I'm sorry." he said, not looking at Abby.   
  
"Do I make you...uncomfortable?" she asked slowly as she searched for the right words. "If what happened today is going to make you uncomfortable then...we can pretend like it didn't happen."  
  
"Well that certainly wouldn't solve anything." said Erik. "Unless of course...you'd like to forget that it happened. I could make that happen, you know. Erasing memories is a specialty of mine."  
  
"Oh, no! I don't want to forget anything." said Abby quickly, and Erik turned to face her with a smile playing on his lips.   
  
"Why exactly don't you want to forget it?" asked Erik, and Abby jumped up.  
  
"Ah, look at the time! We'd better get going or my kingdom will be destroyed (or did you forget that amidst the drama?)." said Abby as she walked briskly away from Erik.   
  
"Do you like it...always being alone?" asked Erik from behind Abby. The young princess stopped short and turned.  
  
"It was never really my choice." she said quietly and then added with defiance. "But right now I wouldn't mind being alone."  
  
"Fine. It's getting dark, why don't we stop at the next village and look for a place to stay." said Erik nonchalantly. He got up and walked onward, with Abby following close behind.  
  
  
  
*****  
  
Abby sat in her room, brushing her hair and trying not to think about what Erik has said. Frustration overwhelmed her as she realized that all she had ever done was push people away...but she didn't want to do that to Erik.   
  
Why? What was so special about Erik that it made Abby want to give up everything, even her pride, just to make him feel better? Why did she always feel like she wanted to protect him and care for him and-  
  
She threw down her hairbrush and jumped up, pacing the length of her room and pulling at her hair. She didn't even want to THINK of that possibility, let alone contemplate it! To think that she could possibly LOVE that scoundrel...  
  
"Oh, damn." said Abby, the minute she thought it and she stopped short bending down to pick up her hairbrush. Loving Erik...well, it wouldn't be the first time she had loved someone who hated her.  
  
"But does he really hate me?" thought Abby, and she resumed her pacing. "I mean, okay, so he hasn't been treating me horribly lately. In fact, he's been pretty nice to me. And he said he liked me, that was a big tip off...Dah! I don't want to think about this. Being alone isn't that bad."  
  
She was about to get into her warm, comfy bed when she suddenly realized something. Not only did she NOT want to be alone, but she also wanted Erik. Badly. She couldn't figure out when she had began to feel the need to be near him, but right now that feeling was overpowering. She wanted to hold him and take care of him and make him feel better. And she wanted him to hold her too...  
  
She had a horrible thought suddenly, that maybe this was her one chance. They could catch up with Zaden and Kel tomorrow, and then Abby would never have a chance again. What if Erik left tomorrow, and she lost him forever. She'd spent most of her time pushing him away from her, and she didn't want to be alone again.  
  
She was racing down the hallway, her nightgown waving like a banner behind her. She threw open the door and looked at the startled Erik with a look of equal surprise.   
  
"I-I was afraid...I don't want to be alone..." she started lamely, and Erik raised en eyebrow at her.  
  
"So you decided to barge in here and attack me with your hairbrush?" asked Erik, and he seemed pretty amused. Abby's face became hot with embarrassment and she turned to leave, but Erik grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back from behind  
  
"You don't want to be alone, you said." he whispered in her ear. "Did you mean that you want to be with me?"  
  
"Possibly.."  
  
  
  
*****  
  
When Abby woke up Erik was gone. She felt a momentary panic before she realized that he had left her a note saying that he was downstairs having breakfast and that he was ready to get started again. Abby packed up her things and got ready to join him.   
  
At breakfast Abby was relieved to find that Erik was neither awkward or rude to her. In fact he seemed happy, or the most happy that she had seen him yet. It made Abby joyous in turn and the entire meal was very pleasant. Abby couldn't remember ever having been so happy.  
  
As they walked through a meadow on their journey Abby suddenly grabbed Erik's hand and smiled at him. Erik looked surprised for a minute, but his eyes shone with happiness. "What was that for?" he asked, but in a curious way as opposed to his normal rude manner.  
  
"Just because I wanted to." said Abby, who hadn't seen his eyes. She expected him to pull away, but instead he tightened his grip on her gloved hand.   
  
"I haven't held hands with someone in a long time." he commented. "It's...pleasant."  
  
Abby laughed and pointed to a bid. "Look, someone's sent a off a Carrying Bird. I've never seen one in real life before."  
  
Erik let go of her hand and flew up into the air, intercepting the bird.   
  
"What are you doing?!" cried Abby, afraid that he might have hurt the bird. She raced toward the spot where Erik had descended, expecting to see a dead bird. Instead, the bird looked fine and Erik looked surprised and somewhat depressed. "What, what is it?"  
  
"This is a letter from Zaden to one of his associates." said Erik evenly as he read the letter. "It seems your in danger, princess."  
  
"Well, that's not a huge shock." said Abby as she peeked at the letter. "Why do you look so upset? Is there something else in there that you're not telling me about?"  
  
Erik folded up the letter and sighed. "Only that another assassin he sent out to kill you is a fairy." Erik said evenly, and then he ripped the note maliciously into a thousand pieces.   
  
Abby was shocked by the viciousness of the act and of how upset Erik looked. "Erik, it's fine. Don't worry, nobody's going to succeed against us. And besides, I know that not all fairy's are as evil as Zaden, of course. I mean you..."  
  
Abby had been babbling, trying to make Erik feel better, but she stopped as she saw tears in his eyes. She moved toward him, but suddenly he wrapped her in a very tight hug. "Abby, I'm sorry. It's just that I was so-"  
  
"PRINCESS ABIGAIL!" yelled a voice, and the pair turned around to face a very harassed looking maid.   
  
"Tirah!" yelled Abby happily, and she ran toward her former maid with renewed strength. They me halfway and hugged eachother with happiness. "Oh Tirah, I'm so happy to see you."  
  
"Abby, why didn't you tell me where you were going?" asked Tirah tearfully. "I could have come with you, I could have helped you-"  
  
"I'm so sorry!" said Abby and she stepped back. "Tirah, as happy as I am to see you, I'm wondering how you got here."  
  
"Well, I had to spend the last two days getting here, but it wasn't terribly difficult for me." said the young girl as she pulled at some lose strands of frizzy red hair and smoothed out her dirty brown gown. "What I can't believe is that you spent nearly a week with this numskull."  
  
Tirah looked at Erik and shot daggers at him. He returned her glare with one of his own.   
  
Abby sighed and Tirah looked back at her. "I didn't just come here to yell at you because you left me behind." said Tirah, and she grabbed Abby's arm and began to drag her to the right. "I know where the Divine Gem is! See, you REALLY should have asked for my help."  
  
"You-you know where it is? Honestly?!" asked the ecstatic princess as she tried to follow Tirah's quick pace. "But how?"  
  
"That is a secret." said Tirah with mirth, and the young princess didn't have a chance to say anything to Tirah at the time. She was to busy trying to keep up, and making sure that Erik was still behind her. She moved so fast that even the young fairy had to race to keep up with her.  
  
"Wait a minute!" he said, and Tirah stopped quickly, nearly sending Abby flying. "Why should we trust you?"   
  
"What?" asked Abby breathlessly. "Erik, I've known Tirah since I was eight! Of course we can trust her."  
  
Erik looked at Tirah for a moment, then sighed. "Fine Abby. If you have so much trust in this girl then she can help."  
  
Tirah muttered something sarcastic under her breath and turned to Abby. "Come look." she said, and pulled away some branches that were blocking their view. Abby's mouth fell open in awe as she looked upon the most beautiful sparkling white waterfalls that she had ever seen. The trio walked over to where it emptied into and all were transfixed by its beauty. It was a thousand times more lovely and noble than the first waterfall Abby had seen with Erik, and it's beauty held her eye for what seemed like an eternity.   
  
"Those are the Glittering Falls." said Tirah in a hushed voice. "Lovely, aren't they? The Divine Gem is said to be buried somewhere around them. You, go look for the Divine Gem and I'll show Abby something."  
  
Erik didn't seem to like being ordered around normally, but now he was looking frantically about. Tirah pulled Abby around and then behind the waterfall and into a cave. Abby though the water looked even more beautiful here, on the other side. She loved the colors that played across her dress and how perfectly the white of the water matched Tirah's dress.  
  
For a moment Abby was confused and couldn't figure out why. The she looked at Tirah's dress again. "Tirah, was I mistaken or were you wearing a brown dress about two minutes ago?"  
  
Tirah looked at Abby, a twinkle in her eye. "I'm surprised you noticed that." she said with a smile, even though Abby was beginning to freak out. "You see, I wanted to change into something a bit prettier for this occasion."  
  
"But...how could you have changed so fast?!" asked Abby, and she took a step back.   
  
"Oh, fairies can change much quicker than you humans can."   
  
For a minute Abby felt amazed and happy. The fact that Tirah was a fairy was so unbelievable and cool! Tirah said, "I have something very important to tell you Abby. Come here, quickly." and reached out her hand to Abby, but suddenly her eyes clouded and she let out a yell right before she was blown back by a bright blue light.  
  
Abby whirled around and faced Erik, whose hand was steaming with a strange blue mist. Erik grabbed onto her hand and pulled her out of the small cavern and into a field. Abby wrenched her hand away and yelled, "Why did you do that?!"   
  
"Because she was the fairy that Zaden had hired to kill you." said Erik, and his eyes darted around the area quickly. The young princes was stunned and she turned to Erik with a look so passionate that it made Erik inhale quickly.  
  
"That's impossible. I've known Tirah all my life." said Abby, her eyes glowing. "That can't be true, she's my only friend...she wouldn't do that to me, I know she wouldn't."  
  
"You would trust her before you trusted me?!" said Erik, pushing his hair out of his eyes in surprise.  
  
At this point many things happened simultaneously.  
  
-The tree that was directly across from Abby shimmered for a moment, and then a darkly clad figure stepped out. He had on a long dark robe that made it impossible to see his features, but his hands were badly scarred. He said something that Abby couldn't understand but it sounded horribly familiar.   
  
-Tirah came running from behind the waterfall, screaming for Abby to run.  
  
-Abby heard a popping sound behind her and turned to face a beaming Zaden. To put it lightly, she nearly had a heart attack.  
  
"Well, isn't this a pleasant little reunion!" said Zaden cheerfully, opening his arms wide. His obviously good spirits and joyous smile made small shivers travel up and down Abby's back as she stepped away from him and towards Erik.   
  
"Abby, get away from them, quickly!" yelled Tirah as she continued to run toward the stunned princess. "Quickly, get away from them-please!" Tirah reached out her hand to Abby as she ran.   
  
Erik grabbed Abby's hand, pulling her toward him. "Choose your side, Abby." he said, his blue eyes burning into hers.  
  
Abby looked at Tirah, and then at Erik, and then back at Tirah. She looked back at Erik and pulled in close to him. "I'm sorry Tirah...but you never told me...I don't think I can trust you now."  
  
Tirah was crestfallen for a moment, but Zaden took care of that. He made a hand motion and Tirah slumped to the ground, a small trail of blood coming from her head.   
  
"Well, I had to get rid of that thing before we could talk about more pressing matters." said Zaden calmly. Abby wanted to run to Tirah but Erik was still holding her hand fairly tight and she realized that she probably shouldn't stray away from him right now. "Oh, and there's something else I should dispose of before I continue with our conversation."  
  
Abby braced herself against Erik, but was surprised as she watched a baby blue fireball envelope the robed figure behind her. It emitted a high pitched scream before it dropped to the ground and the fire was extinguished.   
  
Zaden walked over to the pitiful remains of the robed fairy and kicked it softly. "Thank you for finding my dear friends, but your services are no longer needed." he explained, talking as thought the figure could actually hear him.  
  
"Why...why did you hurt Tirah?" asked Abby quietly, her voice shocked into neutrality by the sheer brutalness of Zaden's actions. "Wasn't she working with you?"  
  
Zaden looked surprised for a moment, but then his eyes crinkled and he began to laugh as he shook his head. "Oh no...my dear princess, what on Earth made you think that TIRAH was the fairy working with me? My dear...don't you understand yet?"  
  
Zaden turned quickly to Erik and smiled. "Thank you once again for bringing her to me! For a minute there I began to think....but nonetheless, you did your job and you did it well. You deserve to be congratulated."  
  
"What are you talking about?" asked Abby quietly, removing her hand from Erik's and backing up. "He's lying, isn't he Erik...he's lying right?"  
  
Erik didn't say anything and he wouldn't meet her eyes. Abby backed up even more and stumbled on a rock. "YOU'RE LYING!" she screamed hysterically, pointing her finger at Zaden. "You're sick! You're just trying to turn me against Erik...and I won't! I know he would never do anything like that to me."  
  
Zaden sneered, his beautiful features no longer able to mask his inner demons. "You're a fool, Princess Abigail." he said. "Did you really think that Erik would care for you, a human? You must be insane! He was just following my orders...the only feelings Erik holds for you are hate, isn't that right?"  
  
He turned to the silent Erik and laughed, putting his arm around him. Abby stepped toward Erik, grabbing his hand. "He's lying...please, tell me he's lying." said Abby, tears escaping from her already red eyes. "Oh please..."  
  
Erik pulled his hand out of hers. "No, he isn't lying." he said, finally raising his head and meeting her eyes. "I...I'm sorry."  
  
"Which reminds me!" exclaimed Zaden, turning Erik around and putting his other hand on Erik's chest and his voice suddenly turning cold and harsh. "You have also outlived you usefulness. Please, don't take this personally, but I would never allow a half fairy bastard like you to rule by my side."  
  
Erik looked surprised for a moment as Zaden's hand glowed blue. Then blood was swiftly flowing from a wound on Erik's chest and the fairy dropped to the ground.  
  
Abby absolutely and totally lost it. She was rushing toward him screaming and crying but Zaden was quickly on her and threw her away from Erik and toward the ground. "Now now, I can't have you covered in blood when you meet your sister! It would be to degrading for you, Princess." he said calmly at the dumbfounded but silent Abby. "My, isn't it amazing how you humans can still have feelings for those who betray you?"  
  
Zaden looked thoughtfully at Abby for a moment and whispered something about how impressive her inner strength was, but that it was to be expected from her. Abby looked at the fallen and betrayed Tirah and then at the lifeless body of Erik. He had never really loved her and she, like the fool he had always believed her to be, had given herself totally to him. And even now...oh please, thought Abby numbly. Let it be a nightmare.   
  
"Through your own actions you have signed your entire race's deathwarrent." said Zaden coldly, putting his hand below Abby chin and cocking her head toward his. "Isn't it absolutely marvelous?"  
  
In her deep despair and sorrow, all Abby could do was stare blankly ahead and shiver in the sudden cold that surrounded her. 


	10. Lessons Learned

Fate  
  
By Sweet Honey   
  
Chapter Nine: Lessons Learned  
  
She was in a dark place, a room with no windows and no candles. Tirah was laying beside her, still unconscious and a constant reminder of the princess's awaiting fate. Abby's mind was in turmoil and she was rocking back and forth on the cold stone floor, trying her hardest to think. When had she become so pitiful? Hadn't she always taken care of herself, taken her responsibilities seriously and most importantly, been able to protect herself? When had she become such a...disgrace.  
  
"It was my own fault." thought Abby outloud as she continued to rock back and forth. "The minute I put my safety into someone else's hands I was doomed. I should have known better...I shouldn't have become so weak-!"  
  
"Honey, feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to solve anything." said Tirah as she sat up with some difficulty. Abby looked at her with her big green eyes and burst into tears again.   
  
"Oh darling, stop crying!" said Tirah as she hugged Abby, who jerked up and away.  
  
"I don't deserve your pity..." said Abby in a murmur. "I don't deserve anything you've ever given to me. I betrayed you...oh please, don't hate me!"  
  
She fell to the ground again, prostrating herself in front of Tirah, who immediately hit her. Hard.  
  
"Ouch, what the hell!?" said Abby, rubbing her arm. "I know I deserved that, but your supposed to warn someone first..."  
  
She trailed off as she saw the look on Tirah's face. "Abby, don't you ever bow down to anyone! Ever!" yelled Tirah, who pulled Abby up off of the ground. "It's time to stop this stupid whining crap and get to work! You're going to lose EVERYTHING if you don't do something quick!"  
  
"No pressure..." said Abby with a slight grin that quickly crumbled.   
  
"What, what now?" said Tirah with a large sigh. "Abby, you are my best friend and I love you to death, but if you continue with this moody crap I'm going to get violent."  
  
Abby sat down on the cold ground. "We have to get out of here...we need a plan. You got a plan?"  
  
"Nah uh."  
  
Abby rubbed her chin. "All right, that could be a problem." she said, getting up and pacing back and forth. "Don't you have magical powers that you could use or something?"  
  
Tirah rolled her eyes. "Do you really think that fool Zaden would stick me in a cell that wasn't magically protected? Please, I just LOOK harmless."  
  
"Good point, but-" started Abby, but at that moment the cell door opened and a girl walked in. Abby let out a loud gasp as she recognized the regal figure before her.  
  
"Kel...?" she said uncertainly, getting up and walking toward her sister. She wasn't angry with her, nor was she upset. She was more or less shocked. "What the hell happened to you? You're sporting some heavy injuries there."  
  
Kel threw back her head and tried to laugh, but her voice echoed off the cell walls and came back sounding hollow and meaningless. "My darling sister, what are you doing here?"  
  
Abby started to get mad. "Damnit Kel, you know what I'm doing here, now stop trying to change the subject! How the hell did you get a black eye, and why are your hands bandaged?"  
  
Kel smiled haughtily but her eyes betrayed her true emotions. "None of you business." she murmured. "Besides, I came her to talk to you about Zaden. I want you to stop disobeying him...you know he's really a very nice person."  
  
Abby's face flamed and she clenched her fists. "NICE?!" she bellowed, grabbing her sister's hands. "He killed Erik, he tried to kill Tirah and look what he did to you! How can you possibly defend him-"  
  
"He didn't do this to my hands!" she screamed shrilly. "When I picked up the Divine Gem...it burned me. I don't know, I guess it happens to everyone but it wasn't his fault! And he only hit me because I was disobeying him, he'd under a lot of pressure and I love him!"  
  
The last words were spoken with such fervor that Abby nearly gagged. "Love? Fearing someone is not the same thing as love!" said Abby, and she pulled her sister in close to her. "Damnit Kel...I know we haven't gotten along well, but that doesn't mean I don't love you. And you know YOU KNOW that if he loved you he wouldn't hurt you. Oh, you deserve so much better~"  
  
"LET ME GO!" screeched Kel, pushing Abby away with an amazing amount of strength. She was slinking away from Abby as is she were some deranged animal. "Don't you touch me....GUARDS! GUARDS! Lock them up again, LOCK THEM UP!"  
  
As the door slammed in her face, Abby shook her head. "I have one twisted sister." she said with a sigh.  
  
"My thoughts exactly..." said Tirah in an off-hand sort of way.   
  
"What?" said Abby as she noticed Tirah's contemplative look. "What are you thinking?"  
  
Tirah pulled at her hair as she narrowed her eyes. "Kel," she said, giving her hair a very firm tug. "She burnt her hands when she touched the stone."  
  
"Yah, so what?" asked Abby as she slumped against a cold stone wall. "Sounds like that happens to everyone when they handle the stone."  
  
"No, that's just it." said Tirah, getting up and trying to look through one of the cracks in the stone. "You see, a peasant's hands would burn if they touched the stone. So I don't understand...why would Kel's hands burn? It doesn't make any sense!"  
  
"Is it possible...could something have gone wrong in Zaden's plan?" asked Abby hopefully, but without warning someone grasped onto her hair and pulled her THROUGH the door. She let out a muffled cry but stopped as she looked into the ice cold eyes of Zaden.  
  
"Do not scream, it's so common." he whispered, but Abby wouldn't have screamed anyway. She would never give him that satisfaction. He dragged her through the damp hallways, and Abby saw that outside the sun was setting. Had it just been this morning that she had walked hand in hand with Erik...she sighed and shook the thought of him out of her head before tears came to her eyes. It seemed like decades had passed since that morning.  
  
"And, in case your wondering because I know you are, nothing has gone wrong with my plan. We just had a minor set back." Zaden said calmly as he dragged the young princess viciously.   
  
Before Abby knew it they were out in the open, and the sun nearly blinded her. However, Zaden's firm footsteps never faltered and Abby tripped continuously over the harsh terrain that she could hardly see. Finally, as her vision cleared, she realized that she was being led into what seemed to be a cave. She began to fight wildly as she realized that she would be ALONE in a cave with Zaden....  
  
....the possibilities were endlessly sickening.  
  
Her attempts were futile and the pair eventually reached the end of the cave. On the ground were five stones. One was glassy and emerald, obviously worth a fortune and another was ruby red that sparkled with a life of its own. And then there three other plain stones that surrounded the gems. Abby immediately recognized the emerald gem as the Divine Gem and shook her head.  
  
"Pick it up." commanded Zaden as he threw her toward the stones.  
  
"I refuse." she whispered, but realized that she was nodding her head, not shaking it! And even as she whispered her refusals, her hand twitched closer toward the stone. There was something so enticing about it..so lovely, that she was finding it hard to not listen to Zaden.  
  
And why shouldn't she? If she took it, she didn't have to GIVE it to him. Wasn't it true that he couldn't touch it? She put both hands out, enjoying the sweet tension and anticipation that the stone held, but just as she was about to reach it the emerald began to swirl.   
  
She peered closer, and saw a man on a horse holding the emerald. Her temper flared. How dare this man have her gem! She would see that he was executed...or castrated...or BOTH! But even as this thought of possessiveness crossed her mind, she watched in horror as the man with the gem picked up his sword and hacked at his comrades...the gore and utter violence caught Abby by the throat and she felt she would vomit if she watched anymore.   
  
The man was glowing green, but from no where an arrow caught him across the chest and as he fell and the stone was released from his clutch, the glowing around him changed to a light blue. The man who had shot him knelt beside the young man, tears streaming down his face. He had the same light blue glow, and he held his crown to his heart as he cried over the dead soldier. Abby cried too.  
  
She jumped back from the stone that now seemed hideous and deformed to her. "I would rather die than touch that rock." she said calmly, and stood up. As she brushed the dirt off of her dress she saw her sister Kel enter the cave.  
  
"I had no doubt that you would." said Zaden as he laughed hysterically. "How odd, that you didn't grab the stone...your nothing like your sister, are you?"  
  
Abby turned around, her fists curled and her face hot with anger. "What did you do to Kel!" she bellowed, as she looked once again upon her sister's injuries.  
  
"Nothing. Oh, I hit her once but that was because she disappointed me greatly. Isn't that right Kel?"  
  
"Yes, Lord Zaden.  
  
Abby wanted to vomit again. "Why didn't you just have Kel get the stone, huh?" she said angrily. "What, couldn't resist kidnapping and killing a few people on your little journey?"  
  
Zaden's laugh was cut short. "Let's just say that Kel doesn't fit the requirements necessary for a wielder of the Divine Gem." he said.  
  
Abby looked at Kel, then at Zaden, then at Kel.   
  
"Oh Abby, how could you be so naive!" Zaden said cheerfully, and wrapped his arms around her. "I would have thought you'd realized by now but...well, I'll tell you. Your sister is nothing more than a common peasant. There's not a bit of royal blood in her entire, perfect body."  
  
"Your joking." said Abby coldly, putting her hands on Zaden's chest and pushing herself as far away from his face as possible.   
  
"Oh, I assure you that I'm not." replied Zaden, putting his face even closer to hers. "My darling, you are my last hope...don't worry, you'll make a lovely Queen."  
  
Abby became hysterical as Zaden's face came even closer to hers, and she began to fight and scream. "Let me go ! Don't touch me...don't you dare touch me! You murdering, lying scum, GET AWAY FROM ME!"  
  
Zaden let her go so quickly that the enraged princess fell to the ground. "A murderer? Yes. Scum? Possibly. But a liar....never, my Hope." he snarled, and grabbed onto Kel's arm. "Let your sisters pain be a testimony to my truth!"  
  
Kel let forth an agonizing howl as her hand was viciously pressed against the stone. Abby lunged at the pair and broke them apart. She sat up quickly and blocked her sister from Zaden. Frankly, she was surprised that she'd been able to knock over the strong fairy.  
  
He was surprised too.   
  
The sound of sizzling flesh nauseated Abby and she begin to gag. Zaden grabbed Kel's shoulder and push him towards her. "Leave. Now. Your uselessness sickens me."  
  
Abby lifted her head and watched as her sister scurried out of the cave, cradling her maimed hand. The revolted princess looked around for another means of escape...or, in the very least, a cavern. It had never occurred to her to commit suicide before, but now it seemed like an excellent option. Without her, Zaden could never harness the power of the Divine Gem.   
  
But then, who would save Tirah and Kel? Tirah, might in some way be able to save herself, but Kel would never gain the confidence or courage to do so. And, Tirah would never go out of her way to save Kel, whom she despised as Abby. But now, Abby felt a deep pity, laced with love, for the pathetic creature that her once strong-willed sister had become.   
  
She got up, trying to regain what little pride she had left. "You can't force me," she said regally. "To pick up that hideous stone."  
  
Zaden raised his eyebrows. "Well, actually, I could force you very easily." he said, mocking her with his eyes. "But, I do love to see you tremble."  
  
Abby blushed and grabbed onto her dirty skirt, trying to stop her shivering hands. "I will never pick up that stone for you. I will fight you in every way possible."  
  
Zaden sighed and crossed his arms, walking around the princess. "Frankly, Darling, you are boring me with these tedious threats." he said, and placed his arms on her back. "I'll have to put an end to this...why don't you just relax?"  
  
Abby tried to push Zaden away but her hands wouldn't move. Then her hands began to move on their own, and as they inched toward the gem Abby realized in horror that Zaden was controlling her. She tried to open her mouth in a scream, but realized that her ability to do so was gone. Damnit, she thought wildly as she wrapped her hands around the jewel. It's not fair....I tried so hard.  
  
She lifted up the jewel, and Zaden put his hand under her chin. "Tonight, we will have the ceremony to celebrate my victory and also where I will finally harness the true power of the Divine Gem. You should be getting ready now but...do you have any questions?"  
  
Abby gasped, surprised that she was suddenly able to speak. "How....how will you be able to use the jewel? You can't touch it, can you?" she asked, aware that it would be better to get as much information from Zaden than to screech and curse at him.  
  
"True, but that could be easily corrected with a sacrifice. In other words, by coating it in your royal blood and sprinkling a bit of mine onto the gem, it would be easy for me to pick it up and use it. Think of it as a blood cleansing."  
  
"Lovely."  
  
"Well, I thought so."  
  
*****  
  
"Welcome, welcome one and all!" exclaimed Zaden from behind Abby, wrapping his arms around the young princess as he spoke. "Please, enjoy the feast. Tonight we will celebrate the beginning of a new era of ruling!"  
  
The people in the large ballroom cheered and went about their social business. All but Zaden and masked dug into the food and Abby wished she could have a bite. She scanned the room and saw an array of colors and people, all of which were fairies, save for her and Kel. Most of the fairies were older and distinguished but some were younger and extremely excited. None of them were as attractive as Zaden.  
  
"Go and sit down, my dear." whispered Zaden and Abby, helpless to disobey, walked slowly toward the throne that was her special spot for the night. Abby remembered when her Nana had told her about her curse, and she wanted to scream as she realized how stupid it was for her not to ask how she had broken it. Idiot. She passed by her sister, who was sitting at a common table and wearing a very domestic dress, unlike Abby.   
  
As she sat down on the throne, her own dress crumpled and puffed in places that she was sure shouldn't be puffing out. She sighed and vowed that, if she lived through this ordeal (which wasn't very likely), that she would have large puffy dresses outlawed. She still clutched the Divine Gem, and just looking at it made her nauseated.  
  
The night seemed to speed up, and suddenly everyone was seated at the long, magnificently decorated tables available. Abby began to squirm as Zaden stood up, making his way toward her. No, not yet, she thought. I still have to come up with a plan!  
  
"Well, my guests, it seems that the time has come for us to take our rightful place as the heads of this pathetic world."   
  
Massive cheering. Totally predictable.  
  
Zaden grabbed Abby's hand and pulled her up. "Now, my dear, it's time for your part in the evening. Such a shame...you weren't a weak, sniveling human, like most. However, I won't go falling for you like that half-breed Erik did."  
  
Laughter.  
  
SMACK.  
  
Abby wanted to let out a cry of joy as her hand connected with Zaden's cheek. A hush fell over the room as Abby realized what an idiot she had been, and took a step back. But the action was too little to late, and she few through the air as Zaden's well aimed punch connected. She flew threw the air and felt her left arm snap as it broke.  
  
The pain was intense and immediate, almost knocking out Abby. But even as the pain began it receded, leaving Abby feeling stronger and healthier. She wiggled the fingers on her left arm and realized that it was no longer broken. She looked up at the dumbstricken Zaden.  
  
"Fairy magic...but you only have a drop of fairy blood...." he murmured to no one in particular as he stared into her oddly glowing eyes.  
  
"Hey, if she has fairy magic doesn't that make her one of us?" asked a young fairy in the back curiously. Zaden snapped his fingers and the boy promptly exploded.  
  
"Really Zaden, must you always be so dramatic?" asked the noble man who had been sitting next to the fairy and who was currently flicking his remains off of his shirt. "I mean, once and while would be fine...but at every party?"  
  
Zaden laughed and grabbed Abby viciously, pulling her up by her neck and letting her feet dangle inches above the floor. "No more games!" he yelled, and dragged her back to the throne. "It's time for you to make me a king among humanity, princess."  
  
"Wait, sir! Wait!" cried a voice, and Abby tried to turn her head to see who was speaking. For a wild moment she thought it might be Erik....but no, it was just a plump fairy cook and her helper. Abby wished she could see the fairy clearly, but the lack of oxygen wasn't helping her eyesight any.   
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"Sir, did you have any of the food?" asked the cook.   
  
"What....no!" shouted Zaden, his patience no longer existent.   
  
"Oh." said the cook, disappointed. "What a shame."  
  
Suddenly Abby heard the sound of gurgling, and a fairy sitting at the table fell straight into his soup. The fairies seated next to her jumped up, screaming and pointing at the fallen fairy. But then more fairies began to gurgle and fall, scratching at their throats and screaming in terror. Kel's eyes were bugging out (although she hadn't eaten any food) and Zaden lost his hold on Abby as he watched his comrades fall.  
  
"You bitch!" he bellowed, lunging at the cook. "What have you done!?"  
  
Abby's eyes slowly focused and she gasped as she realized who the cook and her helper were.  
  
"Nothing you wouldn't have done, murderer." said Mrs. K as she and Mr. K easily sidestepped Zaden and began to slowly disappear. "It seems that you won't be succeeding this night."   
  
Abby felt someone drag her up and she looked up into a fairies masked face. She didn't have to see his face to know who it was. She'd been waiting for him all day, after all...but she still couldn't resist the urge to wrench off his mask. "Come on!" yelled the unmasked Erik gruffly as he pulled her along the length of the ballroom. She grabbed onto her sisters hand as she passed by.  
  
"What are you doing?!" yelled Erik as Abby tried to drag the still spell-bound Kel out of the ballroom with them. "Leave her!"  
  
"I won't!" yelled Abby as she tried with all her strength to drag Kel out of the room. "I won't leave her....help me! Please!"  
  
Erik grabbed onto Kel's hand just as a blinding flash of light blue light flew toward them, separating the sisters and the fairy. Zaden walked toward them, his eyes glowing with rage.  
  
"You won't leave here alive." he said calmly, although his eyes spoke of his true emotions. "But first I'll kill the little princess, before anything else can try and stop my plans.   
  
Abby cowered, waiting for her death, but it never came. Instead she felt liquid splash onto her and she looked up to see....  
  
....Kel, standing in front of her sister, her arms stretched out and a gaping hole in her stomach. Abby screamed, her hands groping for her sisters. She cried and pulled her sister toward her as best as she could without letting go of the gem. "Why, why did you do that?" she asked, her voice strangely steady.   
  
"You could have gotten away..." whispered Kel, "If you hadn't tried to save me."  
  
Abby's tears fell freely, her heart aching as Kel spoke in the most serious voice she had ever used.  
  
"I was just...returning the favor."  
  
Abby nuzzled her head into the top of Kel's, whispering for her heart to start again, for her to breathe again, for her to heal just as Abby had. But, of course, she could not.  
  
"Let go of that vermin and come here!" yelled Zaden. "Meet your death with the dignity fit for the last member of your royal family. Come and accept your fate."  
  
Abby found that she was once again under Zaden's control and she dropped her sister's body. She walked slowly toward Zaden, her eyes facing his with equal hatred and disgust.   
  
"My God...the gem." whispered the masked fairy with horror. Abby looked down and gasped as she realized that the stone had turned black. She nearly dropped it in surprise.   
  
"What...!" bellowed Zaden hoarsely, and he looked at the dead body of Kel and again at the gem, which seemed slightly moist. "It absorbed her blood....her contaminated blood!"  
  
Abby looked down at it, and her gloves began to sizzle...it was burning! Before it could sizzle into her flesh she wrenched off her gloves and threw the gem (gloves and all) at Zaden.  
  
"Here! Here's your stupid gem!" she screamed as Zaden caught it and pulled it close to his chest.  
  
"It's mine....it's finally mine!" yelled the deranged Zaden, and he laughed hysterically even as the gem burned itself into his flesh. "Oh, finally..."  
  
He fell forward as the gem burned itself into his chest and replaced what had once been his heart, which of course wasn't a very big change at all.   
  
"Oh, Hell no." said Abby as she walked toward Zaden. "You won't die happily....not while I'm still alive."  
  
She began to kick him fiercely, screaming crazily as she kicked his lifeless body. Erik grabbed her and pulled her away from Zaden. "Stop, stop." he said calmly.  
  
"Her killed my sister! He killed her, and he killed you too! Damnit, he doesn't deserve death!" she bellowed, totally losing control. She dropped to the ground, Erik's arms still around her as she weeped pitifully. "It's not...fair."  
  
There was silence for a moment, save for the quiet weeps of Abby and the sound of burning flesh. "Oh, no." said Erik suddenly as he pulled Abby back. "Look...Abby, look! We have to get out of here!"  
  
Abby looked, and through her blurred vision saw the body of Zaden burst into flames. Her eyes cleared and she jumped back. "Wha..." she cried, and saw that the fire had spread and was covering most of the room. "I have to get Kel..."  
  
"No. NO, you can't save her, Abby. She's dead now, and if we don't get out of here we'll be in the same position as her."   
  
At that moment, Mr. and Mrs. K appeared in front of Abby and Erik. "C'mon." said Mr. K gruffly, his eyes no longer laughing. "We'll take you to our house."  
  
Abby wanted to go get Kel, she wanted to tell Mrs. K that it was very important that she get her sister back, but even as the thought crossed her mind she realized that she could no longer save her sister. In a few seconds she was back in Mrs. K's house, looking at the familiar cheerful colors. The first thing she did was turn around and swiftly nail Erik in the crotch.  
  
Hard.  
  
He dropped like a ton of bricks, moaning and groaning on the ground. Mrs. K was shocked, but Mr. K laughed. "Well, you didn't expect her to welcome you back with open arms, did yah?"  
  
*****  
  
Abby stayed locked in the guest room at the K's house for three days, refusing to eat or drink anything. Nothing could coax her to come out of her room and she refused to talk to anyone. She wouldn't even talk to Tirah, who had escaped to the K's house when Zaden's barriers had broken down through his death. Occasionally the sound of crying would drift through the house, but if any of its habitants took notice, none of them said anything.  
  
Erik, Tirah and Mr. K were sitting at the table, being served lunch by Mrs. K when Abby stormed in, banged her fist on the table and shouted, "I want answers. NOW!"  
  
Erik winced. "But...I haven't finished my lunch yet..."  
  
Abby eye's glowed even more than usual and she brought back her hand. However, Mr. K caught it with ease and said, "Darling, you need your strength before you decide to hit Erik. Have something to eat and I promise that he'll answer ALL of your questions after lunch."  
  
Abby sat down and stared at her plate. Although the smell wafting up from the food was wonderful, she had no stomach for food. "This is ridiculous." she stated, and tried to get up but Mrs. K's firm hand pushed her back into her chair.  
  
"Eat." she commanded, her face looming over Abby in an intimidating manner.  
  
"Ok." she squeaked, and ate her food timidly.  
  
She ate quickly ad waited impatiently for everyone else to finish. It seemed like years before the table was cleared and Mr. K asked her what questions she had.  
  
She didn't even know where to begin. "Tell me...tell me why you lied to me! Why you handed me over to Zaden, who you KNEW would try to kill me? Why you-"  
  
Erik held up his hands. "Stop, stop. All right, what exactly do you want to know? Why did I give you up to Zaden...well, I had no choice but to do it. If I didn't give you up he may have hurt you, and then killed me. As it was, I knew he'd try to kill me either way...not that he would. Which of course he didn't, because I had special protection."  
  
Abby waved her hand. "That's great, but why did you lie to me?"  
  
"Lie to you? When did I lie to you, exactly?" he asked.  
  
"All right, how about you WITH-HELD VALUABLE INFORMATION, like how you were working for Zaden! What the hell were you thinking!?"  
  
"When I joined up with Zaden last year, I was a bitter young fool who hated humans and wanted to fit in...shut up, let me finish. But I wasn't so stupid as to classify an entire race as expendable, and when I found out Zaden's true plans I began to have my doubts. So, instead of just dropping out, I turned spy for the group of fairies who were trying to stop Zaden....and my adopted parents just happened to be heading that group."  
  
"So you were a spy, uh huh....did it ever occur to you to TELL ME?!" asked Abby.  
  
"Um, frankly no." said Erik, as he laid back in his chair. His attitude was killing Abby, to say the least. "Telling you was out of the question, what would have happened if you'd been captured? My plan was to get you to the Divine Gem before Zaden got to it and have you destroy it, but my back-up plan was to continue my role as Zaden's servant, bring you to him and then use any chance I got to destroy the gem myself...which would have meant dying, but oh well."  
  
"But you said you knew Zaden would kill you no matter what? Where did THAT fit into your plan?"  
  
"I didn't realize he might kill me until I read that note he sent to me, warning me that if I got to close to you a dispatched fairy would take car eof the both of us, and I thought that fiary might be Tirah....you sure make some ugly faces, Tirah. Anyway, I made sure that he couldn't kill me and....oh no, why are you crying?"  
  
Abby sniffled, wiping her eyes with a napkin. "Nothing...could we go outside for a minute? I think I need some fresh air."  
  
"Of course." Erik said, and he followed Abby out the door. Tirah got up too but Mr. K pushed her down and shook her his head.   
  
"Sweetie, you'll have all the time in the world to talk to her later....right now, Abby and Erik need to be alone."  
  
Mrs. K snorted. "Yah, like your suddenly an expert on relationships."  
  
"Of course I am, old woman. Now shut up and make me another sandwich."  
  
"Like Hell I will, you old pervert! Stop trying to look down Tirah's dress!"  
  
"EH?!"  
  
*****  
  
Erik was standing up while Abby sat on a rock, and after five minutes he could no longer take the silence. "Abby, are you going to say something? Please....say something."  
  
Abby looked up at him, a slight smile on her face. "I never thought I'd hear you begging me to talk."  
  
"Yah, today's just full of surprises."  
  
Her face crumbled. "Erik, I really want to ask you...I really want to ask you something, but I'm to embarrassed to do it."  
  
"You, embarrassed?" he said with a lewd grin, sitting down next to Abby. "I can only imagine what your thinking about asking."  
  
Abby blushed. "Pervert. No, it's just that...I feel like my life has been turned upside down, I have no idea what I'm going to do anymore. How can I go home...without Kel....my mother will be heartbroken."  
  
"I know exactly what your going to do. Your going to send a letter home, telling your mother what happened, and then you'll never have to see her again, unless of course you want to. The you and Tirah will live here with Mr. and Mrs. K."  
  
"And you?" asked Abby, here eyes shining. She laughed harshly. "Oh, well probably not. I mean I love you, I'm not ashamed to admit it, but you...you were just acting, right? Isn't that right? You said you hated me..."  
  
"I NEVER SAID THAT!" yelled Erik, scaring the crap out of Abby. His face was red with anger and his fists were clenched. Abby was surprised; she had never seen Erik show so much emotion. He grabbed her hands.  
  
"Don't you see that I had to lie?! I needed you to believe that I wasn't going to come back, that I'd really hated you...I didn't want you to mourn for me! I needed you to act, to try and get away, to retrieve that fighting spirit so you could waste as much time as possible, so that I would have time to save you! I never wanted you to hate me and I never wanted you to think that I hated you! I lo-"  
  
He choked on the words, and Abby squeezed his hand. "Say it....c'mon if you mean it SAY IT...SAY IT DAMNIT!"  
  
"FINE I LOVE YOU."  
  
"Wooohooooo!" said a bush.  
  
Abby and Erik turned around and pushed aside the branches of the bush. Tirah looked up innocently and handed Abby a letter. "Abby, you got mail....just thought you'd want to know, is all."  
  
She disappeared back into the bushes.  
  
"Who's it from?" asked Erik, his face still the pleasant color of a tomato.  
  
"My Nana..." said Abby, and she read aloud.  
  
"Dear Abby, how are you? I heard what happened from Tirah, and I'm so proud of you! The death of Kel is a very sad subject, and I haven't told your mother yet. I thought it would be best if her final daughter told her. Even if your mother is a bitch, she'll still be heartbroken.   
  
Speaking of the bitch, I hear you also found out that Kel was not of royal blood. Your mother was actually a maid at the castle, a commoner, although a very beautiful one indeed. She got pregnant by one of your father's ill-mannered court members, and rather than make your mother live in shame for the rest of her life he chose to marry her and give her child a chance. He loved your pretty young mother, although she only used him for her own benefit.   
  
You were born a few years later, and your mother hated the fact that you had the true claim to the throne while Kel who reminded her so much of herself, did not. She pushed her own hopes onto the poor child and saw you as a threat. When your father died, no one but I knew that Kel was not technically a princess. But I never told anyone, and you probably shouldn't either. She never knew, and it wasn't her fault.  
  
Stay with Mr. and Mrs. K, they're nice fairies and they'll take care of you until you can reclaim your throne. I know you'll be a wonderful queen someday!  
  
P.S: I heard you kicked Erik in the nuts. That's my girl!"  
  
  
  
Erik scowled. "That's crude." he said. "Plus, that hurt-a lot! Not that I didn't deserve it but really..."  
  
"Hey, I thought fairy's could heal themselves!" Abby shot back.   
  
"What-no we can't! Not without a potion or something!"  
  
"Well, I can." said Abby with a smirk. "At the ball, when Zaden broke my arm, I healed it. I guess I have more fairy blood than everyone thought."  
  
Erik laughed outright. "You have a drop of fairy blood, that's it! The reason you healed was because of Mrs. K's cooking."  
  
"Her what?"  
  
"Her cooking! Remember that huge feast she prepared for us right before we left...well, she added a healing potion into it. That's why I knew I wouldn't die when Zaden tried to kill me and that's also why you were able to heal your broken arm. Mrs. K only serves the best fairy food."  
  
Abby sulked. "Aw, I thought I could do magic..."  
  
Erik laughed. "Well, maybe I can teach you some little magic, later."  
  
Tirah popped her head up again. "Um, excuse me, but I do believe this is ruining the mood. Aren't you two going to kiss or something?"  
  
And, well, who were they to object?  
  
AND THEY ALL LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER (well, what did you expect...this was a fairy tale, after all!) 


End file.
